Text I

It is very likely you are eating foods and food products that are made with ingredients that come from GMO crops. Many GMO crops are used to make ingredients that Americans eat such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar. A few fresh fruits and vegetables are available in GMO varieties, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, and papayas. To make it easier for consumers to know if the foods they eat contain GMO ingredients, the U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains a list of bioengineered foods available throughout the world. When you hear the term “GMO” you probably think of food. However, genetic engineering, which is the process used to create GMOs, was first used to make human insulin, a medicine used to treat diabetes.

Text II

More than 95% of animals used for meat and dairy in the United States eat GMO crops. Independent studies show that there is no difference in how GMO and non-GMO foods affect the health and safety of animals. The DNA in the GMO food does not transfer to the animal that eats it. GMOs are also used in the textile industry. Some GMO cotton plants are used to create cotton fiber that is then used to make fabric for clothing and other materials. Researchers are also studying the use of monoclonal antibodies produced in GMO tobacco plants as a potential drug treatment to combat Ebola. In fact, vaccines derived from GMO techniques are already preventing a range of diseases including hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and pólio.

(GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology. Adapted.)

The common theme which is central to both of the texts is: