Comprehensive Insights Into Genetically Modified Foods: Technological Advances, Nutritional Benefits, Therapeutic Applications, and Health Implications

You are what you eat. Genetically modified (GM) foods are transforming modern agriculture by enhancing nutrition, sustainability, and resilience to environmental challenges. This review highlights the benefits of GM crops, including pest resistance, nutrient enrichment, and roles in mycotoxin reduction, biofuel production, and pharmaceuticals. Although GM foods offer solutions for global food security, concerns persist regarding allergenicity, cancer risk, reproductive health, and gut microbiota disruption. Advanced detection methods, such as PCR-based assays, immunoassays, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), are pivotal for accurate GM foods identification and regulation, ensuring unauthorized modifications are excluded from the food supply. Emerging technologies, including CRISPR-based diagnostics, promise greater specificity and affordability for molecular-level GM foods detection. The review advocates a multidisciplinary approach—integrating genetics, immunology, and toxicology—to address safety concerns and refine detection technologies. International regulatory frameworks must balance innovation with health and environmental safeguards. Consumer education is vital for fostering trust and acceptance of GM foods. Future developments may include crops fortified against malnutrition, resilient to climate change, and engineered for medicinal properties. Collaboration among researchers, regulators, and the public is critical to maximize the benefits of GM foods while ensuring their safety and sustainability in addressing global challenges.