Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs as most consumers have come to know them, have been around for decades. They are any plant or animal whose DNA has been genetically altered.

The fact is, unless you’re eating all certified organic products, chances are most of what you eat, even what you wear, is made of genetically modified ingredients.

Nearly all of this country’s corn (88%), cotton (90%) and soybeans (94%) are genetically modified.

“I think it’s at least fairly well established that there is not a significant difference in nutrition.”

Registered dietitian Dierdre Earls says the big question everyone wants answered: Are genetically modified foods safe?

“It’s just been around too short of a time to know what the potential long-term consequences are.”

“I definitely want to know what’s in my food.”

Julie and Bill Hopkins don’t want to wait for a long-term government study.

As parents of two-and-half-year-old Nyela, they choose to buy organic and eat seafood whenever they can.

“It just seems like a healthier choice.”

Yet they’re more concerned than ever about the future of our food. Because of this fish.

This salmon is harvested in Panama by a company called AquaBounty. It could become the first genetically altered animal protein approved for US consumers to eat. It’s DNA has been altered.

Scientists add genes from the Chinook salmon and an eel so that it grows faster and gets to your plate quicker.

“People make a joke about the movie Jurassic Park, but I think there’s actually some, there’s a nugget of truth to that.”

George Leonard heads up the fish division of the Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit which fights for a healthy ocean.

“If the fish get out they could either interbreed with wild fish and have negative effects on wild fish, or even if they don’t breed with them, they could compete for food and compete for resources and otherwise undermine wild fish populations.”

AquaBounty says no fish have escaped in the 20 years they’ve been doing research, and the fish are sterile so they can’t reproduce. But Leonard said there’s another concern that affects all consumers, like all genetically modified foods, this salmon won’t have to be labeled.

“It would be very difficult to tell if genetically-engineered salmon is in this marketplace.

The only way you would know is if it said the country of origin was Panama, which is where it’s initially going to be produced.”

“That I think is very wrong to Americans; we really should know what we’re eating.”

“If they start with salmon, what’s next?”

The fact is the research is ongoing with both meat and plants, because it has to.

“It’s about life and death. It’s about people being hungry and not being hungry.”

The world is expected to add two billion people in the next 30 to 40 years and already farmers are struggling to feed everyone.

So farmers like James Prinz prepare to plant the first drought-resistant corn this spring.

“If it all works and there’s better results, you’ll see a lot more of it next year.” With hopes of keeping his field of dreams alive.

Experts tell us part of the problem in studying GMOs is that they are so common, it’s difficult to know whether they are tied directly to specific health problems. The FDA is taking input on genetically modified salmon online for the next three weeks. That link and a lot more information about GMOs in this story.