Golden rice is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice. It is intended to produce a fortified food to be grown and consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A.
What is Golden Rice and why was it created?
Golden Rice is any variety of rice which makes beta-carotene, thus giving the rice a yellow (Golden) colour. It was created as an additional intervention for vitamin A deficiency .
What is the benefit of Golden Rice?
Golden Rice is a GM crop intended to increase dietary vitamin A . A serious health problem in developing countries, vitamin A deficiency can lead to blindness and premature death. Rice, a food staple produces geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), an early precursor of beta-carotene.
Why is Golden Rice better than normal rice?
The key difference between golden rice and normal rice is that golden rice is a genetically modified rice which contains a high amount of beta-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids while normal rice contains no beta-carotene, and no vitamin A. Rice is the staple diet in many countries, particularly in Asia.
What are the disadvantages of Golden Rice?
- beta carotene levels in golden rice may not be high enough to make a difference.
- there are fears that it will cross-breed with and contaminate wild rice.
- there are concerns that food from GM plants might harm people.
- seed for GM plants can be expensive.
What are the problems with Golden Rice?
VAD can have numerous negative health effects such as dryness of the eye that can lead to blindness if untreated, reduced immune system response, and an increase in the severity and mortality risk of infections.
Why was golden rice banned?
This followed a 2016 decision where the FDA had ruled that the beta-carotene content in golden rice did not provide sufficient amounts of vitamin A for US markets .
Who is father of golden rice?
The magazine showed the father of Golden Rice, Swiss plant researcher Ingo Potrykus , touting it as “rice that could save a million lives a year”.
Is golden rice used today?
Heralded as a genetically modified crop with the potential to save millions of lives, Golden Rice has just been approved as safe for human and animal consumption by regulators in the Philippines. ... But even after nearly three decades of development, Golden Rice is still beset by problems, according to Stone.
Is Golden Rice safe to consume?
The plant is engineered to be packed with beta-carotene, an orange pigment that the body converts into the essential nutrient vitamin A. Declared “ as safe as conventional rice ” by the Department of Agriculture in December, golden rice can now be legally consumed and processed.
What is the process of Golden Rice?
Golden Rice, which is the result of targeted genetic engineering, offers a partial solution to a global problem. The approach consists of introducing the necessary enzymes to enable the rice grains to process precursor molecules present in the grain and thus activate the biochemical pathway to β-carotene production .
Is Golden Rice good for the environment?
GE ‘Golden’ rice is highly likely to contaminate non-GE rice , if released to the environment. GE rice contamination will affect traditional, conventional and organic rice farmers because they will lose their markets, especially export markets, which would negatively impact rural livelihoods.
Who eats Golden Rice?
Golden Rice has been accepted as safe for consumption by the Governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA , and registrations have been applied for in Philippines and Bangladesh.
Is Jasmine rice GMO?
Jasmine rice is a relatively recent crop in Thailand, being cultivated only within the past 100 years. ... Many countries, including the USA have tried to grow this variety of rice, because it is so popular, but without much success. Thai jasmine rice is not genetically engineered.
Is rice genetically modified?
In 2018, Canada and the United States approved genetically modified golden rice for cultivation, with Health Canada and the US Food and Drug Administration declaring it safe for consumption.
Can rice make you blind?
Golden Rice is a form of normal white rice that has been genetically modified to provide vitamin A to counter blindness and other diseases in children in the developing world. ... On a global scale, about a third of children under five suffer from the condition which can also lead to blindness.
