Biotechnology

1
Biotechnology

• Food Safety and Science

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What is Biotechnology

• the use of living organisms or their enzymes to
  make commercial products

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Biotechnology and your favorite foods

• Food Product Biotech Principle
• Steak Selective Breeding
• Potato Selective Breeding
• Sour Cream Fermentation
• Rolls Fermentation
• Jam Processing Pectin based Product
• Corn Selective Breeding
• Chocolate Milk Fermentation (Chocolate) Select
  ive Breeding (Milk)

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Bread, cheese, yogurt, beer, wine, whiskey,
pickles, sauerkraut, and soy sauce - What do all
of these foods and drinks have in common?

• They are all made with the help of
  microorganisms. These types of products are
  produced through traditional forms of
  biotechnology like fermentation.. Scientist are
  using biotechnology to enhance food safety and
  quality and provide consumers with a host of
  other benefits

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What are gene probes and why are scientists using
them?

• In order to produce new foods using what is
  called the "new" biotechnology scientists are
  using gene probes. Gene probes are bits of DNA
  that bind to specific genes in food-poisoning
  microbes. Because each species has a unique
  complement of DNA, gene probes positively
  identify dangerous microbes, even if they exist
  in small numbers in a food sample. Gene probes
  are replacing or complementing more cumbersome
  and time-consuming methods of detecting pathogens
  in food.

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What are monoclonal antibodies and what is the
purpose of them?

• Scientists are using "monoclonal antibodies" to
  develop food safety tests. Monoclonal antibodies
  are identical antibodies produced in large
  quantities under laboratory conditions. When
  they are applied to food samples the antibodies
  can be used to mark and identify harmful microbes
  and toxins

7
Can biotechnology help keep chemicals from
getting into food?

• Yes - biotechnology can help keep chemicals from
  getting into food in the first place. Chemical
  pesticides play an important role in enabling
  farmers to produce ample food of high quality,
  and these chemicals are safe when used properly.

8
Are companies using biotechnology to develop
natural methods of pest control?

• Yes- One of these are a bacterium called Bacillus
  thuringiensis or B.t. for short. B.t. produces a
  protein poisonous to destructive, leaf-eating
  insects but it is harmless to humans and the
  environment. B.t is being inserted into
  different crop genes that then provides the crop
  with a natural protection against insect pests,
  and thereby reducing the need for chemical
  pesticides.

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What is one type of biotechnology focused on
improvements in food quality.

• One method scientists are using to improve food
  quality is recombinant DNA technology. This is
  also called genetic engineering. Scientists
  identify one or a few desirable genes and insert
  them into the cells of a crop plant or
  food-producing animal. The individuals that
  receive the transferred genes exhibit a new,
  useful trait and may pass that characteristic on
  to their progeny. It is being used to develop a
  wide range of enhancements in food quality, such
  as improved taste, texture and color.