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http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ge040806.cfm

 

Genetically Engineered Foods: Not a Healthy Choice

 

Rockford Register Star rrstar.com

 

Published: April 8, 2006

Letters to the Editor

Genetically modified foods are not a healthy choice

By Karen King

Special to the Register Star

 

To some people, genetically modified organisms or biotech foods are a

fairly new concept and many (most) people have no idea what these

words mean. It is estimated that GMOs are present in 70 percent to 90

percent of our food. Eighty-five percent of the soy and the majority

of the corn grown in the United States are genetically modified, as

well as canola, cotton, zucchini, Hawaiian papaya and Quest tobacco.

Food ingredients include corn syrup, corn starch, soy lecithin,

vegetable oil, etc.

 

Genetically modified organisms are not hybrids or cross-bred animals.

GMOs contain genes or DNA of other species or bacteria. For example, a

tomato that has been infused with the gene of an arctic fish to keep

it from being damaged during frost (this has actually been done) or

soybeans, corn and wheat that have been modified to contain their own

pesticides or engineered to sustain multiple applications of

herbicides and pesticides.

 

In order for cells to accept new DNA, an antibiotic marker gene must

also be inserted. The new DNA, antibiotic and pesticide are present in

every cell of the plant. Washing is ineffective.

 

GMOs cannot be recalled. Once they are released into the environment,

they cannot be controlled. The long term health and environmental

effects are unknown. GMOs do not require testing ‹ the FDA accepts

GMOs under the Generally Recognized As Safe guidelines. The GRAS

category relies on industry testing and voluntary information. The FDA

does not even require notification when new products have been

produced and put into the marketplace. There is no way to track the

health effects and there is no accountability.

 

The problems in our society seem to correspond to the problems that

farmers experience with their animals when fed GMOs. Many farmers

report that their animals have problems conceiving and when taken off

GMOs and put on natural foods, they are able to conceive normally.

 

Some gave birth to water bags. Others had miscarriages. Rats that ate

GMOs sat in the corner by themselves. The ones who ate a natural diet

were fine; they played and behaved like rats.

 

Injections of the RBGH hormone in cows cause an increase in

Insulinlike growth factor 1 in humans. Although some amount of IGF-1

is necessary; elevated levels have been linked with cancer. In

addition, a greater amount of antibiotics is needed to treat the

increased udder infections caused from increased milk production in

RBGH/BST-injected cows. Antibiotic injections end up in milk at levels

previously considered by the FDA to be unsafe.

 

British Scientist, Arpad Puzti found that rats that ate genetically

modified potatoes suffered from damaged immune systems. Their white

blood cells responded more sluggishly than those fed a non-GMO diet,

leaving them more vulnerable to infection and disease. Compared to the

rats fed a non-GMO diet, some of the GMO-fed rats had smaller, less

developed brains, livers and testicles. Other rats had enlarged

tissues, including the pancreas and intestines. Significant structural

changes and a proliferation of cells in the stomach and intestines of

the GMO-fed rats may have signaled an increased potential for cancer.

Many rats developed serious health effects after only 10 days and some

of these changes persisted after 110 days, a time period corresponding

to about 10 years of human life.

 

Europe requires genetically modified foods to be labeled. Because of

this, the same companies who manufacture food in the U.S. using these

ingredients choose not to use GMOs in Europe. America has the lowest

standards of biotech safety in the developed world. Even developing

nations such as Zaire have tighter standards than we do.

 

Please write your congressman and tell them you want GMOs to be

labeled. Do not sit back and let this continue to happen! Change will

only happen if we make our voices heard. You can find more information

on this subject as well as steps you can take to protect your family

at www.thecampaign.org.

 

Karen King is owner of Choices Natural Market.

 

****************************************************************************

*************************

This daily news service is a production of the Ecological Farming

Association (www.eco-farm.org) and is supported by a generous donation

by Newmans Own Organics)

****************************************************************************

**************************

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