Assessing the Health of Genetically Modified Foods Based on the Ethical Principle of No-harm

The rapid advances of scientists in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering have made the ethical principle of non-harm in the field of biological sciences a special place. The production of genetically modified foods is one of the latest advances in biotechnology. Today, the debate over the safety and health of genetically modified foods is a controversial issue around the world. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the health of genetically modified foods by emphasizing the ethical principle of not harming humans referring to available evidence.

The method of this research is descriptive-analytical and the collection of information has been done by library method.

 In this article, honesty and trustworthiness have been observed.

Solving the problem of global hunger, improving food quality, improving the economic situation of farmers and maintaining environmental health are the most important benefits of producing genetically modified foods. The production of genetically modified foods has been introduced as a suitable solution to meet human nutritional needs, while the health and safety of these foods are disputed. Opponents do not accept the safety and health of these foods due to scientific disagreement and the potential dangers, and believe that the ethical principle of non-harm is not observed in the production of genetically modified foods. In contrast, proponents, because of the scientific consensus on the safety and health of genetically modified foods, the results of case studies, and the successful experience of the American people, claim the safety and health of genetically modified foods and the harmonization of their production with ethics.

The production of genetically modified foods has significant benefits, but there are many unknowns about the disadvantages of using this technology. The existence of potential hazards in the production of genetically modified foods and scientific uncertainty about the occurrence of these hazards is a reason to implement the principle of caution in the production of these foods.