MSG sprayed right on crops as they grow

[Guest guest]

http://truthinlabeling.org/msgsprayed.html

 

 

MSG

sprayed right on crops as they grow --

even fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables used in baby food

In the 1970s, reluctant food processors " voluntarily " took processed free

glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. Today it's back, in fertilizers called

" Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion " and " Steam Hydrolyzed Feather

Meal, " both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins; and in a product called

AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro) produced by Emerald BioAgriculture

(formerly Auxein Corporation). AuxiGro is being sprayed on some of the

vegetables our children will eat, into the air our children must breath, and

onto the ground from which it can move into drinking water. Head lettuce, leaf

lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts were among the first crops targeted. On

September 12, 2000, the Auxein Corporation Web site gave the following

information: Crops registered include: Celery; Fresh Market Cucumbers; Edible

Navy and Pinto Beans; Grapes; Bulb Onions; Bell, Green and Jalapeno Peppers;

Iceberg Head Lettuce; Romaine and Butter Leaf Lettuce; Peanuts; Potatoes; Snap

Beans; Strawberries; Processing Tomatoes; Fresh Tomatoes; and

Watermelons.Today, there is no crop that we know of that has not been approved

for treatment with MSG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Even in California -- the only state where there are any restrictions on the use

of AuxiGro -- AuxiGro has been approved for use on a number of crops, and

Emerald BioAgriculture continues to push for more. Field tests in California

have been conducted on a variety of crops, and those AuxiGro treated crops may

be sold in the open market without revealing that they have been treated. We

can't tell you which crops those are because the CDPR has refused to send

records of test trials (which are public information) to the Truth in Labeling

Campaign. As of June 13, 2002, AuxiGro was registered for use on tomatoes,

almonds, apricots, cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches, prunes, grapes

(including grapes to be used in wine), and onions. At that time, the California

Department of Pesticide Regulation said they were not aware of any testing of

AuxiGro for use on other crops. They also said that they did not have any

proposals presently in house to register additional crops for AuxiGro. It

would appear, however, that the CDPR has once again lied to the public since

THE CDPR RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT EMERALD BIOAGRICULTURE HAD APPLIED FOR

PERMISSION TO USE AUXIGRO ON TOMATOES (NEW USE) AND ON MELONS (NEW CROP) -- and,

to the best of our knowledge, there is never approval without field testing.

Approval for use on organic crops--in all states--has been requested.

What's wrong with using glutamic acid, an amino acid found in protein, as a

spray on crops? - In protein, amino acids are found in balanced combinations.

Use of free glutamic acid as a spray on crops throws the amino acid balance out

of kilter.

- It's not the glutamic acid found in protein that is being sprayed on crops,

it's a synthetic product. The spray being used is called AuxiGro. The " free

glutamic acid " or so called " L-glutamic acid " component being used by its

manufacturer, Emerald BioAgriculture, contains L-glutamic acid, an amino acid

found in protein; but it also contains D-glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and

other chemicals referred to in the industry as " contaminants. " The free glutamic

acid used in AuxiGro is processed free glutamic acid. It is manufactured -- in

chemical plants -- where certain selected genetically engineered bacteria --

feeding on a liquid nutrient medium -- excrete the free glutamic acid they

synthesize outside of their cell membrane into the liquid medium in which they

are grown. In contrast, the free glutamic acid found in protein, and the free

glutamic acid involved in normal human body function, are unprocessed. free

glutamic acid, and contain no contaminants.

- No one knows what the long term effects of spraying processed free glutamic

acid on crops will be.

That the processed free glutamic acid (MSG) will be absorbed into the body of

the plant and into the fruit, nuts, seeds, or vegetable it produces seems

undeniable. If it were not, the plant would not be stimulated to grow. Neither

Emerald BioAgriculture or the EPA will address this issue.

That there will be residue left on crops has not been disputed by Emerald

BioAgriculture. But no study of either the amount of that residue, or the least

amount of processed free glutamic acid needed to cause a reaction in an

MSG-sensitive person, has ever been done. " It should wash off " doesn't mean it

will wash off. " It seems unlikely that such a small amount would cause a

reactions " doesn't mean that a small amount will not cause a reaction or have

long term health effects.

Free glutamic acid is known to be toxic to the nervous system. But the

neurotoxic effects that processed free glutamic acid will have on animals that

consume the plants on which it is sprayed - effects over and above any effects

caused by external glutamic acid residue - have never been evaluated. Neither

are there data on the effects that spraying processed free glutamic acid will

have on drinking water.

Consider, also, that children are most at risk from the effects of processed

free glutamic acid. Their undeveloped blood-brain barriers leave them most at

risk from exposure to processed free glutamic acid. It has been repeatedly

demonstrated that infant animals fed processed free glutamic acid when young,

develop neuroendocrine problems such as gross obesity, stunted growth, and

reproductive disorders later in life, and that they also develop learning

disabilities. Emerald BioAgriculture did not address that particular safety

issue in its application to the EPA.

- No one knows how little glutamic acid is needed to kill a single brain cell or

to trigger an adverse reaction.

- Free glutamic acid is a neurotransmitter. It causes nerves to fire, carrying

nerve impulses throughout the nervous system.

- Free glutamic acid is a neurotoxin. Under certain circumstances, free glutamic

acid will cause nerves to fire repeatedly, until they die.

- Processed free glutamic acid kills brain cells. The free glutamic acid

ingested by laboratory animals that caused brain lesions and neuroendocrine

disorders was very often given in the form of the food ingredient " monosodium

glutamate. " " Monosodium glutamate " is the name of a particular food additive.

Processed free glutamic acid is the reactive component in " monosodium

glutamate, " just as processed free glutamic acid is a reactive component in

AuxiGro.

The glutamate industry research done in the 1970s that was submitted to the EPA

by the Auxein Corporation, that pretended to find that processed free glutamic

acid is " safe, " has been long refuted by independent scientists. Indeed, at the

present time, neuroscientists attempting to develop drugs to block the toxic

effects of free glutamic acid are using processed free glutamic acid to

selectively kill certain kinds of brain cells.

- Processed free glutamic acid causes neuroendocrine disorders in maturing

animals that ingest processed free glutamic acid early in life.

- Processed free glutamic acid causes learning disorders in maturing animals

that ingest processed free glutamic acid early in life.

- Processed free glutamic acid crosses the placental barrier and causes learning

disabilities in animal offspring of dams that ingest it.

- Processed free glutamic acid has access to the brain through the blood-brain

barrier, which is not impervious to the unregulated flow of processed free

glutamic acid. The blood-brain barrier is immature at birth and may continue to

develop up to puberty. In certain areas called the circumventricular organs, the

blood barrier is never impervious to the unregulated flow of free glutamic acid.

In addition, the blood-brain barrier is easily damaged by such events as high

fever, a blow to the head, drug use, stroke, ingestion of processed free

glutamic acid, and the normal process of aging.

- The National Institutes of Health recognize glutamic acid as being associated

with addiction, stroke, epilepsy, degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's

disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS, brain trauma, neuropathic pain,

schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

- For years, free glutamic acid has been produced and used in food additives

with names such as monosodium glutamate, sodium caseinate, and hydrolyzed soy

protein. In some people, the processed free glutamic acid in food additives

causes adverse reactions that include migraine headache, asthma, arrhythmia,

tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and disorientation. The processed

free glutamic acid in prescription and non-prescription drugs, food supplements,

and cosmetics can also cause adverse reactions.

There are badly flawed industry-sponsored studies that have pretended to find

that processed free glutamic acid does not cause adverse reactions.

Inappropriate procedures used by the glutamate industry have included limiting

subjects to people virtually guaranteed not to be sensitive to processed free

glutamic acid, and/or using processed free glutamic acid or other similarly

reactive substances in placebos as well as in test material. The Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) has based its claim that processed free glutamic acid

causes only mild and transitory reactions on those badly flawed

industry-sponsored studies.

- According to the EPA, the food additive called " monosodium glutamate " causes

adverse reactions.

- According to the FDA, the food additive " monosodium glutamate " contains

processed free glutamic acid.

- According to the FDA, many consumers refer to all free glutamic acid as " MSG. "

- In reviewing the application of Auxein Corporation (now Emerald

BioAgriculture) for use of processed free glutamic acid in a spray to be applied

to crops as they grow, the EPA failed to conform to the requirements of the

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which require, in part, that the EPA review

any proposed action for validity, completeness, reliability, and relationship to

human risk. The EPA also ignored Executive Order 13045 which requires government

agencies to consider available information concerning the variability of the

sensitivities of major identifiable subgroups of consumers, including infants

and children. For example, Auxein Corporation sent the EPA 14 industry-sponsored

toxicological studies from the literature, all done in the 1970's, but failed to

mention hundreds of studies in the literature that refuted those 14 studies.

Auxein Corporation even failed to send the EPA independent studies that appeared

in the same book(s) as the industry-sponsored studies

sent to the EPA. For example, although processed free glutamic acid causes

brain lesions and neuroendocrine disorders in infant animals, this special

hazard faced by infants was ignored by Auxein Corporation. It would appear that

Auxein Corporation restricted its consideration of " available information " to

information made available by the glutamate industry; and the EPA, even after

having been sent abstracts from other " available information, " has not

challenged the Auxein Corporation applications. A more complete discussion of

the shortcomings of the EPA approvals granted to Auxein Corporation has been

submitted to the EPA.

- Questions about the safety of spraying processed free glutamic acid on plants

and into the environment have been raised by the Truth in Labeling Campaign and

by individual consumers. The EPA has refused to address those concerns. The EPA,

and, in particular, EPA spokesperson Dr. Janet Andersen, has failed to respond

to allegations that in approving the spraying of processed free glutamic acid,

the EPA failed to consider the reliability, validity, and completeness of the

Auxein Corporation application or comply with Executive Order 13045 entitled

Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks, except

to say that the EPA had complied with executive order 13045. Moreover, while

responding to letters that asked direct questions of the EPA, Andersen failed to

respond to most, if not all, of the direct questions contained in those letters.

What's wrong with the EPA and the EPA's Dr. Janet Andersen?

Neither the EPA nor Dr. Janet Andersen are stupid. Rather, all evidence would

appear to suggest that the EPA, which is charged with protecting the health of

Americans, says it is protecting the health of Americans, when in fact the EPA

acts to protect the bottom line of big business. Don't think for a moment that

MSG is the only toxin unleashed on the American public by the EPA. Let the

words " methyl parathion " and " DDT " jog your memory.

How did Andersen excuse the fact that the EPA approved processed free glutamic

acid for use in an EPA approved spray? First, said Andersen, the free glutamic

acid used in the spray is naturally occurring, and it's 99.3 per cent pure

pharmaceutical grade L-glutamic acid. Yet, in admitting that the free glutamic

acid in AuxiGro is not 100 per cent pure L-glutamic acid, and that it is

pharmaceutical grade, Andersen contradicted herself, and actually made the point

that 1) if the free glutamic acid used in AuxiGro were truly natural, it

wouldn't be " pharmaceutical grade; " and 2) if the free glutamic acid used in

AuxiGro were truly natural it would be 100 per cent, not 99.3 per cent pure

L-glutamic acid.

Andersen said something else very interesting. She said that the EPA is well

aware of the fact that MSG causes adverse reactions. However, when Andersen used

the term " MSG " she was referring to the one food ingredient called " monosodium

glutamate, " and not to the free glutamic acid in " monosodium glutamate " that

causes adverse reactions. Failure to define terms, as Anderson did (and does) so

handily, is both deceptive and misleading.

What Andersen did is very clever. What she said makes no sense at all. No one

has ever claimed that the processed free glutamic acid in AuxiGro comes out of a

box labeled " monosodium glutamate. " So for her to say it doesn't, is

meaningless. On the other hand, the claim has been made that the free glutamic

acid in AuxiGro will cause the same brain lesions, neuroendocrine disorders,

adverse reactions and other diverse disease conditions that are caused by the

free glutamic acid in " monosodium glutamate " and the other food additives that

contain processed free glutamic acid. That claim is true, but Andersen does not

address it. How do you refute someone who ignores legitimate questions and spews

out irrelevant statements as though they pertained to your legitimate questions?

You don't. The EPA defense of its approval of use of processed free glutamic

acid in plant " growth enhancers " and its registration of AuxiGro has two parts

to it: 1) ignoring those who question EPA actions, and 2)

making the irrelevant statement that AuxiGro does not contain MSG (monosodium

glutamate).

Neither Andersen nor anyone else at the EPA ever addressed the criticism that

approvals given by the EPA to allow the use of free glutamic acid and the

product AuxiGro were inappropriate.

The EPA, which approved the used of processed free glutamic acid in plant

" growth enhancers, " made a grievous error. But instead of recognizing and

remedying that error once it was pointed out to them, the EPA began a cover-up.

That cover-up included use of ambiguous words and phrases, half-truths, and

downright lies told to consumers. The cover-up continued (and continues still)

with a variation of those ambiguous words and phrases, half-truths, and

downright lies told to legislators who inquire about spraying MSG into the

environment.

AuxiGro's approvals

AuxiGro, the first plant " growth enhancer " to hit the market, has been approved

for spraying on every crop we know of. Even before consumers had an inkling that

crops were being sprayed, the Truth in Labeling Campaign received reports that

MSG-sensitive consumers had gotten sick from head lettuce and potatoes.

Federal Register notices chronicling the application and approval of processed

free glutamic acid are available on the Web via GPO Access, the Federal

Register, through: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html

Application was made to the EPA in 1997. Testing of the product was also

approved in that year, and many of the test crops sprayed with AuxiGro were

brought to market without notifying consumers. Glutamic acid was granted an

exemption from establishment of a tolerance limit in January, 1998. AuxiGro was

also approved for use on a number of crops in January, 1998, and approved for

use on other crops later. No announcement of these approvals was made in the

Federal Register.

Due to a technical glitch in the system, the glutes came to need one more

approval to make their California registrations work. The glutes were asking

for AuxiGro to be approved for use as a fungicide in California, but the EPA had

only approved AuxiGro for use as a pesticide produce or plant growth enhancer.

And when application was made for this addition to their approvals, the

application was brought to our attention. And the Truth in Labeling filed a

formal protest to this approval of AuxiGro.

The protest of the Truth in Labeling Campaign.

The Formal Objection of the Truth in Labeling Campaign was filed on August 16,

2001 with the EPA. This is being written in February, 2003. By law, the EPA

must respond to Formal Objections. " They, " we have been told a number of times

by Dr. Janet Andersen, " are working on it. "

There are formal regulations for handling protests such as ours. And the time

for the EPA's response is long past. Regulations, it would seem, are to be used

to control those who would be of annoyance to big business. If a regulation

might annoy a giant like Ajinomoto, Co., Inc., the regulations, so it would

seem, are to be ignored.

Sales literature

Sales literature promoting AuxiGro will be found at http://www.auxein.com/

While Federal Register notices included the fact that there is processed free

glutamic acid (MSG) in AuxiGro, the sales literature from Auxein Corporation did

not mention the fact that their product contains free glutamic acid until the

Truth in Labeling Campaign began to broadcast that information. In November,

1999, Auxein added deceptive, misleading, and untrue statements in an

elaboration of its Product Page, wherein they essentially make the untrue

assertion that the glutamic acid used in AuxiGro is chemically and biologically

identical to that found in plants and animals.

Sales literature did (on September 12, 2000), however, contain the following:

" PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

HAZARDS TO HUMAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS – CAUTION "

If you think you might be reacting to AuxiGro sprayed on crops, contact Emerald

BioAgriculture (formerly Auxein Corporation) at the addresses that follow. By

law, they are required to forward reports of adverse reactions to the EPA. John

L. Mclntyre, Ph.D.

President & CEO

Emerald BioAgriculture (formerly Auxein Corporation)

3125 Sovereign Drive, Ste. B

Lansing, MI 48911-4240

Phone: (888) 828-9346

Fax: (517) 882-7521

E-Mail: %20sales

(From time to time, their web page, http://www.auxein.com , can be accessed by

password only.)It would be much appreciated if you would copy and distribute

this material, including our Web address, for those who might be interested.

 

Truth in Labeling Campaign, P.O. Box 2532, Darien, IL 60561

adandjack 858/481-9333 http://www.truthinlabeling.org

 

 

 

 

 

Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online