The safety and health benefits of GMO foods has been a contentious issue in the media lately, and the development of recombinant DNA methods has changed the face of the food industry.

Recombinant DNA (rDNA), a piece of DNA that has been created by combining at least two strands, can be made of material from two different species. Using recombinant DNA technology and synthetic DNA, any sequence may be created and introduced into a wide range of living organisms. Crops which have been genetically modified are being cultivated in more and more countries, and the process is likely to accelerate as desirable traits are identified. Many critics claim that the modification of the genome of plants or animals poses an unacceptable risk to the consumer.

Join us for a Chats in the Stacks talk with Joe Regenstein, professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science at Cornell. His new book Genetic Modification and Food Quality (Wiley; August 3, 2015) explains how genetic modification production methods influence the quality of foods and feeds, and lays out the benefits and drawbacks of gene-modified food sources in the human diet. His research analyses the nutritive value and safety of foods such as cereal grains, oilseed crops, vegetables, fish and animal products.

Refreshments served and books available for purchase.

The book talk series at Mann Library is supported by the Mary A. Morrison Public Education Fund.