- Soybean
- Corn
- Cotton
The top few countries that cultivate genetically modified (GM) soybeans are United Sates, South Africa and Argentina. These countries used the soybeans for commonly reasons such as to feed livestock. The livestock productivity in Europe are dependent on the protein offered by the soy. During processing of the soybeans, it is pressed into oil mill and the oil that is then collected will be refined for food use. Also, soybeans are used to make many food ingredients and additives such as lecithin.
Spain, France, Czech Republic are the countries with the largest cultivation areas for genetically modified (GM) corns. A large percentage of genetically modified corns are grown for the used as animal feed. However, GM corns are also made into food products for human consumption such as cornflakes, popcorn, corn oil and food additives such as corn sugar, corn syrup. Also, corn is an important source of starch in Europe. Almost half of the starch derived from corns are used for food production and the left over are used as renewable raw material for the production of paper, packaging material, textiles, chemical, pharmaceuticals and many more.
Most genetically modified (GM) cotton can be found in USA and India. The grown of gm cotton is gradually increasing in the years in USA and India. Fiber from the cotton must be separated from the seed. The seed that is then separated can be made into cooking oil or sometimes even margarine as it is protein and oil-rich. Cotton are also used for animal feed and leftover fiber are made into food additives such as stabilizers or fillers, as it almost completely consist of cellulose.