Scientists use two methods to alter foods genetically. The first is the traditional method, called hybridization, which has been done for years. In hybridization, plants with desirable traits are crossed to form offspring with the best traits from both parent plants.

The second and newer method involves transgenic alteration. It involves taking genes from one source and implanting them in another. By using this method, food scientists hope to one day develop broccoli with added nutrients, tomatoes with top-notch taste, low-lactose milk, and sunflower oil with less saturated fat. Food genetically altered might also deliver specifically tailored combinations of vitamins and possibly even prevent or treat ailments.

Thus far, however, most genetically modified foods are not engineered to boost nutritional content. They are supposed to boost agricultural yields by increasing resistance to insects or to weed killers, a boon to farmers who are looking for ways to grow healthier crops more rapidly.

While there is no proof that bioengineered food poses any health risks and advocates point out that insect-resistant plants will reduce the need for pesticides, there are still many unresolved issues concerning genetically altered food.

Appropriate government testing of genetically altered foods will be an important part of getting these foods to market. To date, there are no specific scientific standards for proving the environmental safety of a plant nor is there a specific review process for genetically modified foods. However, this issue and the review process are currently being studied.

Labeling is another concern. In the United States, labels identifying genetically modified foods are not required, whereas in Europe, where the debate over genetic modification of food is far more heated, labeling has recently been mandated. However, the new guidelines ran into trouble almost immediately. Additives and flavorings were initially exempt, so a food laden with additives could still claim to be without genetic modification; this is in the process of being changed. There is also ongoing discussion about how free of genetic modification something has to be to claim that status. The European Union, which is empowered to provide this type of legislation for its 27 member countries, is currently considering stipulating that products do not require labeling if each of the ingredients contains 1 percent of bioengineered material or less. Consumer groups are arguing for one-tenth of that. Unpredictable allergic reaction is another concern, though foods containing any substance known to cause allergies (such as nuts or any oil from nuts) must be labeled.

In the United States, Americans already consume food that has been genetically modified. About 55 percent of soybeans and 30 percent of corn are modified. The new products that are being developed are different, however, because for the first time the plants are capable of reproducing. This has caused great concern among ecologists as to what this may do to the environment. If the transgene from a genetically modified plant crosses into the wild population, then a new superweed may be the result. Some genetic alterations may actually cause the stunting of growth of other types of plants with which it can be cross-pollinated.

The American public finally woke up to the alarm being expressed by Europeans when it was discovered that genetically altered corn carries a toxin that, when spread to the common milkweed plant which is a frequent intruder in cornfields, means death to the monarch butterflies who feed on milkweed. In a final twist of irony, the genetically altered plants may, in some cases, endanger varieties of plants that scientists rely on to provide the raw material for the genetic alterations. . .

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