Sir: Apropos a letter (Genetic engineering, Daily Times, May 21, 2015). This particular letter has offered a distorted image of genetic engineering and I would like to answer all the points discussed in it one by one. First, I do not know of any nutrient that can be a threat to human health that was allowed to flourish through the technique of genetic engineering. However, genetic engineering has been used since 1970 when Hamilton first employed it to make transgenic bacteria for the production of human insulin. This single use of genetic engineering has had a tremendous impact on the lives of Type 1 diabetes patients and they are living a better life now. “Every fruit and vegetable is being injected with unknown substances” is a statement that is simply not true. We know exactly what substance a genetically modified organism produces and many of these substances we get for human benefit such as anti-thrombin, plasminogen growth factor, haemophilia factor and growth hormone. Factory farmed chicken are pumped up with steroids is stated by the writer, but what wrong does genetic engineering do in this pumping up? It seems that the writer is not well informed about the procedure of this technique, so he is jumbling up two different things. In the 1960s, there was a green revolution and many hybrid varieties of staple crops were produced. In the absence of these hybrids, millions of people may have died of hunger. Due to the world’s population reaching a figure of seven billion people, there is always an ever increasing demand for food now. It should not come as a surprise then that every third Pakistani is facing protein deficiency. Now hybrid potential is over as we can create no new beneficial hybrids. Now it is the technique of genetic engineering that can feed such a huge population by providing high quality protein and very high yielding staples. Is it really so that the use of broiler chicken produces ovarian cysts? If there is some independent study in this regard, I request the writer to please inform me and the general public as well for the greater good of us all. Modern medical science is not based on telltale stories of our hearts, or rumours created by mischievous people. For the sake of argument, if we accept broiler meat produces ovarian cysts, even then it has nothing to do with genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is a tool and device to meet the huge dietary needs of humanity and it is no rapacity or tainting of food in any way. MUHAMMAD ASHTAR CHATTHA Islamabad