Important: GMW: REVEALED - GM MAIZE CONSPIRACY

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To members in the USA, what is called corn in the US is called maize in many

other countries, while maize is a completely different crop in the US.

 

GMW: REVEALED - GM MAIZE CONSPIRACY

" GM WATCH " <info

Tue, 24 May 2005 11:52:06 +0100

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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" It is almost impossible to imagine that major lesions in important

organs (kidneys, liver, etc) or changes in blood parameters (lymphocytes,

granulocytes, glucose, etc) that occurred in GM maize-fed rats, is

incidental and due to simple biological variability. "

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Press Notice from GM Free Cymru

Immediate release

 

24 May 2005

 

GM MAIZE CONSPIRACY REVEALED

 

A GM watchdog group based in Wales has today revealed the full extent

of a conspiracy by UK and EC officials which has, against the public

interest, enabled a highly damaging study on the safety of GM maize to be

held on a secret dossier and which has gagged scientists who have seen

it.

 

The study, into the effects of feeding rats for 90 days on Monsanto''s

MON863 maize, was requested by various EU countries as part of the

MON863 assessment process, and was completed in September 2003. The

results showed " statistically significant " changes to blood and to

certain

vital organs in the rats fed on the GM maize, as compared with those in

the control group, and immediately alarm bells started to ring in

scientific circles throughout Europe. The French authorities tried to

cover

up the scientific debate about the study (1).

 

In the autumn of 2004 concerns were expressed about the study findings

by a number of other national regulatory bodies, including Belgium and

Germany. Germany actually commissioned an evaluation of the rat

feeding study from Dr Arpad Pusztai, but Monsanto would not allow its

1,139

page research dossier to be examined without the signing of a

" declaration of confidentiality. "

 

Incredibly, the EC and the German authorities acceded to this demand,

which means that their key officials are now bound by a secrecy

agreement. This would not be so bad if it were not for the fact that Dr

Pusztai''s evaluation was highly critical of both the methods and the

findings of the study, indicating that MON863 maize by no means has a

" clean

bill of health. "

 

Subsequent leaks (2) from France, Germany and Belgium suggest that the

maize variety may indeed be unsafe for animal or human consumption, and

that a major cover-up is under way, designed to protect the corporate

giant Monsanto and the regulatory authorities who have prematurely

advised that MON863 is perfectly safe (3) (9) (10).

 

The extent of the cover-up is becoming clearer by the day. In France

Crii-Gen has been trying for more than 18 months to obtain sight of the

full rat feeding study, national opinions and scientific advice on

MON863, and other materials held on the dossier by the French

authorities

and the European Food Safety Authority (4). They have received

point-blank refusals to their requests, on the grounds that all of these

documents are covered by the " confidential / business interest " rules.

However, these rules specify that the only material which may be

classified

as secret is data on the manufacturing process / genetic

characterization of the GM variety; and that all material relating to

health and

safety issues must be released into the public domain.

 

In the UK, GM Free Cymru has been trying for several months to obtain

sight of the rat feeding study, the " opinions " of various EU

governments, and other studies and papers relating to the MON863

application; but

access has been consistently refused.

 

The only information available to the public on the EFSA and other web

sites is information which supports the EFSA / ACRE attitude that

MON863 is perfectly safe; all information which might be embarrassing or

uncomfortable for Monsanto and the authorities has been given a " CBI "

classification (5).

 

In pursuit of its requests to open up the MON863 secret dossier, GM

Free Cymru has written over and again to EFSA, to the President of the

Commission, to individual Commissioners, and to the UK government. It

has

also written to the German authorities and to the EC office which deals

with European " freedom of information " matters. These efforts have

proved fruitless.

 

The organization has also been asking EFSA, the Commission and the

German authorities for the " Declaration of Secrecy " which prevents Dr

Pusztai and others from airing their scientific opinions on the rat

feeding

study to be lifted, in the public interest( 6). Again, nothing has

been done. The last resort is to take the case to the European

Ombudsman,

and GM Free Cymru is committed to do this if a dozen or more documents

which it has requested are not released within the next few days.

 

Speaking for GM Free Cymru, Dr Brian John said: " Our attempts to open

up the MON863 secret dossier to public scrutiny show that there is

corruption right at the heart of the GM approvals process. EFSA,

which is

supposed to exist for the protection of the European public, works

instead to protect the interests of multinational corporations like

Monsanto. This is sinister and dangerous.

 

" With the connivance of the EC, it appears even to allow Monsanto to

dictate the terms on which it submits research information as part of the

approvals process. It is an outrage that any independent scientist

should be asked to sign an oath of secrecy in order to examine and

evaluate something as important as the 90-day rat feeding study (7).

 

" What we also see here is a political determination on the part of the

EC to push through GM approvals, simply because this is part of its

strategy in the ongoing WTO dispute with the USA (8). It is being helped

by the secrecy and obfuscation of EFSA. In pursuit of that strategy, it

silences potential scientific critics, suppresses key research

information, and classifies as " commercially sensitive " many documents

which

should be open to scrutiny. In doing that, it is breaking EU law, and is

playing politics with the health of the people of Europe. Ultimately,

since the GM industry apparently has so much to hide, why should anybody

trust it, or want anything to do with GM crops or foods? "

 

ENDS

 

Contact: Dr Brian John

GM Free Cymru

Tel 01239-820470

 

NOTES

 

(1) In the autumn of 2003 concerns were expressed in France by members

of the CGB (the Commission for Genetic Engineering), whose President

nonetheless submitted a positive opinion on MON863 prior to proper

committee discussion. On 28 October 2003, CGB issued an unfavourable

report

on MON863, which has remained confidential so far. On 6 November

2003, another French commission, the Agency for the Medical Safety of

Food

(AFSSA) gave, for the same file, an opposite opinion. Most of the

documents relating to these deliberations have been kept secret, despite

strenuous efforts by Crii-Gen for them to be released. The scandal was

revealed by Le Monde newspaper on 23 April 2004.

The Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic

Engineering (CRII-GEN) has the role of ensuring expert scrutiny and the

greatest possible transparency on the medical and environmental risks of

GM.

 

(2) Quote from Dr Pusztai''s leaked Evaluation report: " The list of

significant differences suggest that the authors'' confidence that the

genetic modification of the maize sample has induced no significant

changes in the nutritional value and the biological/immunological, etc.

properties of this important food/feed crop is almost certainly

groundless. It is almost impossible to imagine that major lesions in

important

organs (kidneys, liver, etc) or changes in blood parameters

(lymphocytes, granulocytes, glucose, etc) that occurred in GM

maize-fed rats, is

incidental and due to simple biological variability. "

 

(3) EFSA Opinion of the GMO Panel on MON863 and MON863 x MON810:

adopted 2 April 2004.

http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/gmo/gmo_meetings/49/minutes_gmo_09_en1.pdf)

See also the comprehensive coverage of this issue in the Sunday

Independent newspaper, 22 May 2005..

" Revealed: health fears over secret study into GM food.

Rats fed GM corn due for sale in Britain developed abnormalities in

blood and kidneys " By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor, Sunday

Independent, 22 May 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=640402

 

(4) For the attempts by Crii-gen to obtain key scientific information

on MON863 since October 2003, see:

http://www.crii-gen.org/m_fs_cx.htm

Also Le Monde, 23 April 2004 and 14 December 2004

 

(5) EFSA web site with details of deliberations on MON863:

http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/gmo/gmo_opinions/catindex_en.html

http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/gmo/gmo_opinions/381_en.html

 

(6) Correspondence is available on request

 

(7) In Australia and New Zealand, in contrast, the full rat feeding

study was examined by FSANZ and it was decided that it did not merit

" confidential business interest " classification. " FSANZ decided that the

confidentially claim by Monsanto was not justified under the FSANZ Act "

--Dr Peter Abbott (Scientific Risk Assessment and Evaluation Branch,

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Tel. 02 6271 2230) in a letter to

Bob Phelps, Executive Director, GeneEthics Network Australia, Tel: 03

9347 4500 or 1300 133 868, Fax: 03 9345 1166

Email: info

http://www.geneethics.org

 

(8)GMO trade war: Europe accused of secrecy

Official Complaint made to Ombudsman by FoE EUROPE

Wednesday 16 February 2005

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4909

Eurocrats accused of " caving in " to US -- Eurocrats force vote on

modified food

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4358

 

(9) It has now been claimed by a member of the EFSA Board, Professor

Giorgio Calabrese, that Monsanto is in possession of other studies which

have not been shown to the regulatory authorities in Europe. This has

been denied by Monsanto, but in a new move EFSA has demanded of Monsanto

that the company should submit " its entire research into (the corn

strain) MON 863'''' (La Stampa newspaper, 23 May 2005).

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2005/05/24/afx2049419.html

newsdesk

 

(10) In the USA, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has recently alerted

both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Monsanto about the

failure of the company to comply with the adverse reporting requirements

of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In

the view of CFS the MON863 rat feeding study showed " unreasonable

adverse effects " which should have been drawn to the attention of the

regulators. Failure to do this is potentially a criminal offence. A

copy of

the CFS letter is available on request.

 

 

 

 

 

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