NUSF 115 San Jose State University Are GMO Foods Safe? Article Summary

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Instructions

1. Find a lay article (non-scientific publication, e.g., news or magazines) on the Internet that addresses an
area of food safety (pesticide, industrial contamination, food additives, bacterial contamination,
genetically modified organisms, etc.)

2. Read and summarize the article. Your summary should be an objective summary of the arguments and conclusions made by the author(s), do not interject your own thoughts in this summary.

3. This summary is one page (250 words/around 1/2 -1 page, type double-spaced). Please include
title, author, where and when the article was published.

4. I need to read the full text article you selected for writing your assignment before grading! Please upload the full text article to the “Assignment#1-part 1: full-text article collection box”.

5. Submit your summary on Canvas (doc, docx, or pdf).

5. See the example below.

EXAMPLE:

Title of article: Safety Questions Over Ephedra Spark Clash Between FDA, Industry Officials

Article published in: the Marketplace section of The Wall Street Journal

Date published: Aug. 9, 2000

Article written by: Sarah Lueck, Staff Reporter

Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB965776631416126532 (Links to an external site.)

SUMMARY (TYPE DOUBLE-SPACED):
EPHEDRA IS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT ADVERTISED AS A STIMULANT THAT HELPS IN WEIGHT LOSS AND BODY
BUILDING. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS ON A PUBLIC MEETING IN WASHINGTON DC, HELD THE DAY BEFORE, TO
DISCUSS THE SAFETY OF EPHEDRA. FDA (FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION) OFFICIALS TOLD OF 100 REPORTS
OF SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS LINKED TO EPHEDRA, INCLUDING 7 DEATHS BY CARDIAC ARREST, AND SAID THAT
SUCH EFFECTS ARE COMMONLY UNDERREPORTED. INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES COUNTERED THAT MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE HAVE USED EPHEDRA WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, AND THAT MOST OF THE CASES REPORTED TO THE FDA
WERE PROBABLY CAUSED BY OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE REASON FOR THE CLASH IS THAT, AS A DIETARY
SUPPLEMENT, THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE FDA TO SHOW EPHEDRA IS HARMFUL SO AS TO TAKE IT OFF THE
MARKET. IF EPHEDRA WERE CLASSIFIED INSTEAD AS A DRUG, THE BURDEN OF PROOF WOULD BE ON INDUSTRY TO
SHOW THAT IT WAS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BEFORE THE FDA WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE SOLD. THE FDA WANTS
EPHEDRA OUT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS; INDUSTRY DOES NOT