Council_of_Medical_Research_raises_concerns_over_the_safety_of_GM_food

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Subject:Council_of_Medical_Research_raises_concerns_over_the_safety_of_GM_food

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> Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:32:21 +0100

 

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> ICMR Wants Overhaul Of GM Foods Regulation

> ASHOK B SHARMA

> FINANCIAL EXPRESS, Monday, July 26, 2004

>

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=64406

>

> NEW DELHI, JULY 25: The Indian Council of Medical

> Research (ICMR) has raised some concerns over the

> safety of genetically modified (GM) food and has

> urged for an overhaul of the existing regulatory

> mechanism.

>

> Citing some particular instances the ICMR study

> entitled 'Regulatory Regime for Genetically Modified

> Foods : The Way Ahead', said " the case of GM

> potatoes experiencing Galanthus nivalis lectin gene

> for insecticidal properties is an example of the

> potential of GM foods to cause toxicity. In a group

> of rats fed with GM potato damage to immune system

> and stunted growth was observed and the experiment

> had generated considerable controversy. "

>

> In case of the GM rice, soyabean and rapeseed the

> study said " currently developed plants with improved

> nutritive value include GM rice with enriched

> vitamin A and GM soyabean and rapeseed with modified

> fatty acid. The impact of such intended modification

> in nutrient level in a crop plants can affect

> nutritional status of the individual. There is also

> the potential for unexpected alteration in nutrient

> as it was observed in the case of GM rice

> (accumulation of xanthophylls, increase in

> prolamines). Such changes can affect nutrient

> profiles resulting in nutritional imbalances in the

> consumer. "

>

> The ICMR study has been circulated among concerned

> ministries and departments of the government.

>

> The study noted that 73 per cent of the GM crops in

> the world are developed for herbicide tolerance

> while 18 per cent are developed for resistance to

> insects and 8 per cent developed contain both the

> traits. Only 0.1 per cent of GM crops are for yield

> improvement and vitamin enrichment. The study

> cautioned that GM crops for herbicide and pest

> resistance could have a potential for development of

> resistance in target organism. " This has been

> particularly observed in crops developed for insect

> resistance like cotton. This has resulted in the use

> of a 'refugia' while cultivating Bt crops. Similarly

> in the case of herbicide resistance crops like

> soyabean, a potential for development of superweeds

> due to spread of herbicide resistance from GM crops

> to weeds exists, " the study said.

>

> In context, the study suggested that more than

> herbicide resistance, India needs crops resistant to

> drought, temperature and soil stress and crops for

> nutritional enrichment, increased productivity and

> pest resistance. It also said that GM varieties

> which will eliminate the problem of naturally

> occuring toxins like the unusual toxic amino acids

> in Lathyrus satvus are important.

>

> The study also said " although the cultivation of GM

> crops have been claimed to be profitable to farmers,

> the impact varies by year, location, crop etc. " It

> cautioned that as modern biotechnology is being

> increasingly subjected to intetellectual property

> protection and is being generally developed by

> private sector companies, this could lead to reduced

> competition, monopoly of profits and exploitation of

> small farmers. GM crop production may harm small

> farmers in the developing countries as imported GM

> commodities will undercut local production. Modern

> agriculture biotechnology could lead to increased

> inequality of income and wealth because large

> farmers may capture most of the benefits.

>

> The study expressed several other concerns relating

> to genetic pollution and pollen movement, health

> safety, allergenicity and potential for gene

> transfer but in the same breath it said " it is

> significant to point out that there has been no

> report of any adverse health effect of GM foods and

> there are no peer reviewed publications on the

> health effects of GM foods in humans. "

>

> Citing an example of pollen transfer, the study said

> " the transgenic material from a GM maize cultivated

> by a farmer can be transferred without the farmer’s

> knowledge to a non-GM maize cultivated in the

> neighbouring field. Such kind of pollen transfer

> varies with different environmental conditions. "

>

> Expressing concerns over health safety, the study

> said " the use of recombinant DNA technology in the

> production of GM foods involves transfer of genes

> from different species into food producing organism.

> Such a transfer is facilitated along with various

> regulatory elements obtained from bacterial or viral

> sources that are required to empower to produce the

> trait in the host organism. The safety of these

> components of the genetic construct is not clearly

> known as they have the potential to induce toxicity,

> transfer to gut flora or produce unintended effects

> leading to changes that are relevant from

> toxicological/nutritional perspective. Specific

> safety issues associated with GM foods include

> direct or indirect consequences of new gene product

> or altered levels of existing gene product due to

> GM, possibility of gene transfer from ingested GM

> food and potential adverse effect like allergenicity

> and toxic effects. "

>

> It said that crops modified for insect resistance

> have been shown to have the potential for allergic

> response like Sartlink corn. " The allergenicity

> potential of GM food has often been difficult to

> establish with existing methods as the transgenes

> transferred are frequently from sources not eaten

> before, many have unknown allergenicity or there may

> be a potential for genetic modification process to

> result in increase of an allergen already present in

> the food, " the study said.

>

> The study also expressed concern over the

> possibility of transfer of GM DNA from plant to gut

> microflora of humans and animals. " Of importance

> have been the antibiotic resistant genes that are

> frequently used as selection markers in the genetic

> modification process. Such genes have the potential

> to adversely affect the therapeutic efficacy of

> orally administered antibiotics, " it said.

>