GM papayas in Khon Kaen found unsafe

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ubject: GMW: GM papayas in Khon Kaen found unsafe

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Wed, 6 Jul 2005 13:21:21 +0100

 

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.GM papayas in Khon Kaen found unsafe

2.Greenpeace urged to hand over papaya report

 

Antibiotic resistance is a major health issue as it can result in high

morbidity and mortality, and the failure of the treatment of life

threatening bacterial infections in humans and animals.

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1.GM papayas in Khon Kaen found unsafe

Greenpeace uncovers antibiotic resistance

APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

Bangkok Post, 1 July 2005

 

Genetically-modified (GM) papaya seeds used in in experimental field

trials by the agricultural research station in Khon Kaen contain the

tatracyclin antibiotic-resistant gene, recognised as an unsafe GM marker

gene by various international food safety organisations, said Greenpeace

South East Asia yesterday.

 

" We obtained GM papaya seeds from the Khon Kaen agricultural research

station in July last year. We were suspicious that the research station

might use tatracyclin as a marker gene for its experiments.

 

" In May, we decided to send those samples for a gene scan test in

Germany. The result showed that GM papaya seeds were contaminated with

the

tatracyclin-resistant gene, " said Greenpeace campaigner Patwajee

Srisuwan.

 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has already warned against

the use of the tatracyclin gene marker on GM plants in the market or in

plants used for experimental field trials.

 

Codex, a commission created in 1963 by the United Nations Food and

Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation to develop

food

standards, has ruled that antibiotic-resistant genes should not be

present in food.

 

Greenpeace South East Asia last year discovered that GM papaya seeds

experimented on by the Khon Kaen agricultural research station had

slipped through to 2,600 farmers in 37 provinces.

 

The organisation later raided the station and also destroyed suspected

GM papayas in private farms in Khon Kaen in July.

 

To minimise the conflict, the government decided to temporarily suspend

open-field GM crop trials.

 

However, it has continued to allow laboratory tests of GM crops.

 

Greenpeace said it was concerned about the impact on human health and

Thai fruit exports. Tatracyclin would be no longer effective as an

antibiotic in people who have eaten GM papayas containing the

tatracyclin-resistant gene.

 

Tatracyclin is one of the world's most widely-used antibiotics.

 

Thailand currently exports canned fruit salad mixed with papaya to the

European Union and Japan. If some of the GM papaya slipped into food

exports, it would hurt the country's income, the group warned.

 

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Consumer Organisations criticised the

Department of Agriculture for refusing to release information on its GMO

experiments, saying its refusal was a threat to the public.

 

" It is the government's job to tell the truth to people. But as you

see, the government did nothing, " said confederation manager Sairung

Thongplon.

 

Miss Patwajee pointed out that the Department of Agriculture told the

House Committee on Science and Technology on June 16 that GM papaya was

safe for the environment and food.

 

" We need to see transparency from state officials. The government must

reveal the correct information to the public. The department told us

that all GM papayas in open fields had already been destroyed. But we

have still found GM crops in Rayong and Kamphaeng Phet provinces. With

the

current situation, we are not sure that we can believe information from

state authorities, " she said.

 

Miss Sairung said that legal action might be taken if the department

still refused to clarify the facts.

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2.Greenpeace urged to hand over papaya report

Bangkok Post, July 5 2005

http://www.biothai.org/cgi-bin/content/news/show.pl?0549

 

The Department of Agriculture wants Greenpeace South East Asia to send

its report that shows that genetically modified papaya tested at the

department's Khon Kaen research station was contaminated with

tatracycline antibiotic-resistant gene.

-general Chakan Saengraksawong said the organisation should

send the information to the department for a review. " But it must be sure

that the information was correct and based on facts. "

 

Greenpeace released the report of test results of GM seeds obtained

from the Khon Kaen station at a German laboratory which showed the seeds

contained the tatracycline antibiotic-resistant gene, a marker gene

recognised as unsafe by the European Food Safety Authority and Codex, a

United Nations agency on food safety. Tatracycline is an agricultural

derivative of tetracycline, an antibiotic.

 

Mr Chakan, however, insisted that the GM crop test runs by the

department were " in line with international standards. "

 

 

 

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