介绍:
转基因食品 - 亲，你到底了解多少呢？
ZCG: We understand that GMOs are currently very controversial in China. Beyond China, the US for instance embraces GMOs while the EU forbids them. So why are both sides, you know, have this mixed opinions towards GMO?
ZYN: I think natural is not always good, and natural is not always not good, because there’s always evolution. For thousands of years now, human beings have been trying to improve the food production, and quantity and so on, so they have this selective breeding or cross-breeding, so on. Now they have go one step further, so this is a new area. But don’t be afraid. It is a technology we have to look into very carefully, but chances are, if you use them properly, for example, they can produce more food, better food, food with better nutrition. United States, of course, is a country very careful about the health of its own people, but they allow GMO to be used in the States. I would not say, because we don’t know enough about it, we say let’s stop it. On the contrary, we should pay attention to have follow-up studies, and, so who knows, in 20, 30 years to improve the efficiencies, or everything can be improved in GMO food, but let it go. China has already started its own research in GMO, so we should face up to it, and use the best of it.
ZCG: Maybe the policy makers are also trying to think about the general public’s view towards this policy, the public concern. Is that the main issue here?
ZYN: I think the greatest enemy is not telling the truth but ignorance. We have a new technology, GMO and so on – we’re not giving a blank check. We have to follow through and make sure it can be further improved, so we study the issue, technology, its implementation, its results. For example, GMO they say its, bad aspect…That happens! Any system is not perfect! Democracy is not perfect! So, it’s still better systems than many other systems. So the same is true, apply to GMO – that’s what I think. When the government is cautious not to make decisive statements, that’s good; it depends on the information you share would prove to be true later on, to build the trust from the Chinese people. For example, if every time you say one thing you do something else, so eventually, when you’re telling the truth, nobody will believe in you.
BK: What do you think people, especially in China, should be worried about more: genetically modified food, or food with pesticides and other chemicals?
TSH: In my opinion, the latter, because unsafe food can give direct negative impact on people’s health, but GMO’s not certain, it’s not sure at this moment.
BK: Right. Mr. Zang, what’s your take?
ZYN: Safe is safe, good is good, better is better. There are so many natural food, you know, they are detrimental to your health. So I would look into the product itself, GMO or not, and decide what is good or not for you, not because its label.
BK: And Dr. Bansal, what would be your take?
UB: Yeah, I would prefer chemical free food, pollution free environment, and I think that will lead to [a] healthy nation. Otherwise, if food is polluted, and how many chemicals we are eating every day, and the air we are breathing is full of chemicals as well – you can imagine what effect it would have on our health.
ZYN: Let me mak[e] one more important point: I think, in China, in the past, when it have this milk problems, when it have this baby formula problem, it’s because of many things, including management, including policies, so we should take care of the whole process, suppliers, producers, the transportation and distribution, so everything, looking as a total package to enhance the safety of food produced, GMO or not.
