Genetic modification of maize, conceptual image, represented by a researcher who is using a syringe to inject a chemical into a maize cob. Genetic modification involves alteration of an organism's genetic make-up. This is done to provide it with useful traits, such as (for a maize cob) frost resistance or a lengthened spoilage time. Some foods can also be enriched with vitamins, for instance to supplement a population's diet.