World's top (fake) sweetener is made with GM bacteria (E-coli??)

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Sunday, April 14, 2002 8:38 AM

World's top (fake) sweetener is made with GM

bacteria " (E-coli??)

 

 

World's top (fake) sweetener is made with GM bacteria " (E-coli??)

 

 

http://dorway.com/ukbact.txt

 

Independent on Sunday

http://www.independent.co.uk/sindy/stories/A2006903.html

 

World's top sweetener is made with GM bacteria

 

By Marie Woolf, political correspondent

 

The most widely used sweetener in the world, found in fizzy drinks and

sweets, is being made using a secret genetic engineering process, which

some scientists claim needs further testing for toxic side-effects.

 

The use of genetic engineering to make aspartame has stayed secret until

now because there is no modified DNA in the finished product. Monsanto,

the pioneering GM food giant, which makes aspartame, insists that it is

completely safe. But some scientists fear that not enough is known about

the process of making it. One of the two elements that make up the

sweetener can be produced by genetically engineering bacteria, and

scientists say that they cannot rule out toxic side-effects.

 

The Independent on Sunday has found that Monsanto often uses genetically

engineered bacteria to produce the sweetener at its US production

plants. " We have two strains of bacteria - one is traditionally modified

and one is genetically modified, " said one Monsanto source. " It's got a

modified enzyme. It has one amino acid different. "

 

A Monsanto spokeswoman confirmed that aspartame for the US market is

made using genetic engineering. But sweetener supplied to British food

producers is not. However, consumer groups say it is likely that some

low-calorie products containing genetically engineered aspartame have

been imported into Britain.

 

" Increasingly, chemical companies are using genetically engineered

bacteria in their manufacturing process without telling the public, "

said Dr Erik Millstone, of the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex

University, and a member of the National Food Alliance.

 

MPs want the Government to launch an inquiry to see how much US

aspartame is coming into the UK. Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat

environment spokesman, will this week write to Jeff Rooker, the Food

Safety Minister, to ask him to ensure that US aspartame is labelled as

genetically modified. " Monsanto's sweetener, " he said, " has turned

sour. "

 

Aspartame is made by combining phenylalanine, which is naturally

produced by bacteria, with another amino acid. To make the bacteria

produce more phenylalanine, Monsanto has genetically engineered them.

 

" Whether such a contaminating compound will be toxic, or not is

completely unknowable until empirical studies are done to test

toxicity, " said Dr John Fagan, a former genetic engineer who now heads

Genetic ID, the world's leading GM test centre. " No such studies have

been done, or at least they have not been placed in the public domain. "

 

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http://www.dorway.com WEBmaster comment: Thank them for their

courage to publish this article! Thanks to James Mackenzie

Scottish Green Party for the notification.

(www. scottishgreens. org. uk/who/harper. htm

< harper " Robin Harper " )

 

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