Guest guest Posted January 9, 2003 Report Share Posted January 9, 2003 fw: Pig Vaccine Contaminates U.S. Crops from: http://www.mercola.com/2003/jan/8/pig_vaccine.htm Pig Vaccine Contaminates U.S. Crops E-mail to a friend By Suzanne Goldenberg U.S. authorities, shaken by a case in which food crops were contaminated with an experimental pig vaccine, are preparing to impose stringent guidelines on a new generation of experimental GM crops. The department of agriculture and the environmental protection agency are encountering growing disquiet from a coalition of farmers and food manufacturers about the potential dangers of the next phase of GM products -- " biopharming, " or the implanting of genes in food crops to grow drugs and industrial chemicals. The idea of tightening regulations on GM products represents something of a revolution in thinking in the U.S., where about 70 percent of the processed food on supermarket shelves contains genetically engineered ingredients. But concerns have risen after a small biotech firm in Texas was fined $3 million for tainting half a million bushels of soya bean with a trial vaccine used to prevent stomach upsets in piglets. Under a settlement reached this month, the first of its kind against any biotech company in the U.S., a firm called Prodigene agreed to pay a fine of $250,000 and to repay the government for the cost of incinerating the soya bean that had been contaminated with genetically altered corn. U.S. authorities said the corn did not reach food crops or animal feed. But the episode has drawn unwelcome attention to an as yet experimental area of GM farming. The premise behind biopharming, or " pharming " for short, is that genetic tinkering can turn an ordinary-looking corn or barley field into a potential drug factory, producing insulin, chemotherapy drugs, and other products for much less than it would cost to set up an industrial plant. At present, two-dozen trials of the experimental GM drugs are under wayacross the U.S. The biotech firms argue that the new technique can revolutionize health care, especially in the developing world where hospitals short on syringes can dispense edible drugs. But in the wake of the Texas case, questions are being asked. The latest incident was the worst violation so far of regulations intended to keep biopharming out of the food supply. It was also seen as the most serious setback to date to the next generation of GM farming. Until now, genetic engineering has been used mainly to make crops such as corn and soya bean resistant to insects and disease, and the U.S. food industry has been solidly on side. The Texas alarm has begun to change that. " The incident overall just reaffirms our concerns that something could go wrong, " Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, which represents food companies such as Kellogg and General Mills, told the Los Angeles Times. Analysts in Washington said yesterday that they expected the department of agriculture to impose more stringent guidelines next year. Published reports said yesterday that guidelines under consideration by the authorities include moving experimental farms away from America's grain belt in the Midwest, or requiring growers to dye the leaves of the altered crops. The agriculture department's disciplinary measures against the small Texas firm have crystallized concerns among farmers, environmentalists and industry about the risks of experimental vaccine crops getting into the food supply. " The department of agriculture wanted to send a signal that the companies need to take the obligation to protect the food supply very seriously, " said Michael odemeyer, the director of Washington's Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. " The whole issue of growing pharmaceuticals in food crops has certainly raised concern within the food industry, as well as among environmentalistsand others, about genes from these crops getting into the food supply. " The Guardian December 24, 2002 ---------- ---- DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: E-mail to a friend Here we go again. More evidence on the unreliability of the assurances we have been given. These GMO foods are contaminating our regular crops and once this reaches a certain level it will be irreversible. If you haven't read the article I posted last week week on genetically modified foods, please do as it discusses this topic in far more detail. We still have some time to make some positive dents to stop this insanity. We have stayed silent, and continue to remain silent, as industry is irreversibly contaminating the oceans with mercury and polluting all the fish. Let's remember that it is food that keeps us alive. We can't play with our fuel source if we ever hope to have healthy future generations. This is about protecting your grandchildren and generations to come. I am a big believer in technology, but technology may not have a solution for this one until it is far too late. Related Articles: Genetically Modified Foods, Inc. Manipulating Plants to Make Vaccines Genetically Engineered Food Threatens Indigenous People Why Genetic Engineering Is The Three Mile Island of Biotech §*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§ § - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! § Subscribe:......... - Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment, especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.