What is Golden Rice and Why is it Unnecessary and Dangerous ?!

 

Golden rice is a new kind of rice that is high in beta carotene (provitamin A, a plant pigment that the body converts into vitamin A as needed). This chemical is responsible for the grain's yellow-orange or golden hue, as well as its name.

Genetic engineering was used to create Golden Rice. Beta carotene is produced in regular rice, however it is not found in the grain. As a result, scientists employed genetic engineering to add the molecule to the grain, which was a modest change that increased the grain's nutritional worth. Golden Rice's beta carotene is similar to beta carotene found in green leafy and yellow-colored vegetables, orange-colored fruit, and even numerous vitamin supplements and dietary components, thanks to the inclusion of two new enzymes.

Golden Rice, like regular rice, does not require any special cultivation techniques and produces similar yields and agronomic results.

While vitamin A may be gained via foods and supplements, the problem of vitamin A deficiency is difficult to solve due to issues with availability, accessibility, and pricing (VAD). Because rice is a staple meal in many vitamin A-deficient populations in Asia, if the grain is accessible for general consumption, Golden Rice can play a substantial role in boosting vitamin A levels in these regions.

According to Friends of the Earth, golden rice generates insufficient beta-carotene to prevent VAD (1.6 mg/g of rice, or 10% of the daily intake of vitamin A). In compared to the rice accessible in impoverished nations, the amount of golden rice required for adequate vitamin A consumption would be excessive.

Golden Rice Risks

Allergies or antibiotic resistance are two possible risks. Inadvertently introducing genetically modified foods into the food supply is also a possibility when GMO crops are planted alongside non-GMO crops without the awareness of consumers.

References: 

Rice, G. (2013). Genetically Modified Organisms: The Golden Rice Debate | NYU Langone Health. NYU Langone Health. https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/population-health/divisions-sections-centers/medical-ethics/education/high-school-bioethics-project/learning-scenarios/gmos-the-golden-rice-debate#:~:text=Golden+Rice+Risks&text=Risks+include+potential+allergies+or,%2C+without+the+consumers’+knowledge.

‌Golden Rice FAQs. (2019, January 16). International Rice Research Institute. https://www.irri.org/golden-rice-faqs

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