Dangers of Genetically Altered Foods

[Guest guest]

for complete story:

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/14/gm_foods.htm

 

Dangers of Genetically Altered Foods

In 1998, Arpad Pusztai, a researcher at Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen,

Scotland, preformed the first independent non-industry sponsored study analyzing

genetically engineered food and its effects on mammals.

 

The study had been undertaken to determine whether or not the spliced genes

themselves could be damaging to the mammal ingesting them. However, preliminary

data from the study suggests something even more startling.

 

The actual process of genetic alteration itself may cause damage to the

mammalian digestive and immune systems.

 

Pusztai's study found that rats fed transgenic potatoes (artificially

bioengineered to include a gene from another species) showed evidence of

 

a.. organ damage

b.. thickening of the small intestine

c.. poor brain development

The transgenic potatoes used in the study had been genetically engineered to

contain lectin, a sugar binding protein, to make the plants pest-resistant. The

adverse reactions only occurred in the group that was fed the transgenic

potatoes. The control group, fed plain potatoes mixed with lectin from the same

source, were normal.

 

These results indicated that the adverse reactions were not caused by the added

lectin, but by the process of genetic engineering itself. " All the presently

used genetically modified material has been created using essentially the same

technology, If there really is a problem, it won't just apply to the potatoes,

but probably to all other transgenics.

 

In August 1998 Pusztai appeared on the British television program The World in

Action to report the findings of his study. In an attempt to quell the resulting

public furor, Rowett Institute director Philip James (who had approved Pusztai's

TV appearance) said the research didn't exist. He fired Pusztai, broke up his

research team, seized the data, and halted six other similar projects.

 

It came out later that Monsanto, a leading U.S. biotech firm, had given the

Rowett Institute a $224,000 grant prior to Pusztai's interview and subsequent

firing.

 

Evidence emerged to support the legitimacy of Pusztai's research. The research

that James claimed did not exist showed up during an internal audit. Later,

Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal, published a peer-reviewed paper

Pusztai had co-authored supporting the research.

 

Prince Charles began to question the safety of genetically engineered foods on

his website and became allies with Pusztai. Charles wrote an article in the

Daily Mail expressing concerns over the lack of prerelease safety research on

genetically engineered foods.

 

Back in 1992 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had determined that

genetically engineered foods were in most cases " the same as or substantially

similar to substances commonly found in food " and thus are not required to

undergo specific safety tests prior to entering the market.

 

The FDA's policy was a dramatic shift away from the long- standing requirement

that companies prove their products are safe. Says Rebecca Goldburg of the

Environmental Defense Fund. " FDA's policy strongly favors food manufacturers at

the expense of consumer protection. "

 

According to author Ben Lilliston, no independent or government-sponsored

research into the effects of genetically engineered foods on mammals is now

being carried out in either the United Kingdom or the United States.

 

 

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Update by Ben Lilliston (blilliston)

 

Genetically engineered crops have been introduced in the U.S. in a quiet, almost

stealthy manner. Most Americans know little about this radically new way of

producing food, and even less about what type of risks these foods pose.

Traditionally, U.S. regulatory agencies are some of the toughest in the world in

protecting human health and the environment.

 

But, as the article points out, genetically engineered foods have entered the

marketplace almost entirely unregulated.

 

The story was published at the beginning of a turbulent year for the biotech

industry. For the first time since engineered crops have been introduced, we saw

a decline in the overall planting of GE crops in the U.S. In response to growing

domestic and international criticism, the Food and Drug Administration announced

it was drafting new rules for regulating these crops.

 

Perhaps the most important event in the last year was the contamination of the

food supply with the unapproved genetically engineered StarLink corn. The corn

had been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for consumption by

animals but not humans, because of concerns that it may cause allergic

reactions.

 

The StarLink discovery by a coalition of advocacy groups has resulted in

approximately 300 food products recalled, mass litigation within the agriculture

community, and drops in exports to key markets including Japan. StarLink has

also raised questions about the U.S. regulatory system, and, at the end of 2000,

several bills in Congress were proposing major changes in the way U.S. agencies

regulate these crops.

 

The last year has seen dramatic changes within the agriculture community

regarding GE crops. Farmers are now having to worry about liability, markets,

and cross pollination. Grain elevators are facing increased expenses associated

with testing and segregating genetically engineered and non-GE crops.

 

And even giant grain processors like Archer Daniels Midland are warning farmers

about growing genetically engineered crops.

 

The entire food sector is wary of the impacts these crops are having on our

ability to export.

 

The mainstream media has been consistently behind the ball on the story of

genetically engineered crops-particularly the regulatory angle. While they have

been quick to cover the latest scientific breakthroughs by the industry, and

report extensively on the promise of the technology, they have ignored the

inability of U.S. regulatory agencies to keep up with the advances and unique

risks of biotech foods.

 

While the StarLink debacle has received considerable coverage, few reporters

have identified the underlying cause, which is the overwhelmed, antiquated

system that allowed it to happen.

 

 

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There are numerous resources on the web for more information on genetically

engineered foods:

 

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - www.sustain.org/biotech/

Greenpeace USA - www.greenpeaceusa.org/ge/

Union of Concerned Scientists - www.ucsusa.org

Ag Biotech Info-Net - www.biotech-info.org

 

 

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