The Dangers of Stealth Food, a.k.a. Genetically Engineered Food

[Guest guest]

The Dangers of " Stealth " Food, a.k.a. Genetically Engineered Food

by Jason Boehk, co-founder of Protect Organic! Campaign

 

There's a dynamic movement forming around the world to preserve

democratic access to pure food uncontaminated by genetic tampering.

In Karnataka, India, farmers recently burned experimental transgenic

crops they say were planted illegally by Monsanto. Rural Advancement

Foundation International (RAFI) is leading a worldwide fight against

Monsanto's sterile seed patent, dubbed " Terminator Technology " by

critics. Growing resistance in the U.S. includes attempts to secure

mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered food, and lawsuits

against the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and EPA (Environmental

Protection Agency). On December 15, 1998, The Center for Food Safety

(CFS), a consumer group, began legal action to ban rBGH (recombinant

Bovine Growth Hormone). CFS is charging that the FDA has ignored

evidence of potential health hazards, including breast and prostate

cancer in humans who drink the milk.

 

All of this activity is urgently needed. According to a senior

executive of the Monsanto Corporation, the " consolidation " of the

entire food chain has been underway for a few years now.

Agricultural biotechnology corporations, dominated by chemical

manufacturers such as Monsanto, Dow, Dupont, and others, have

morphed into " life-sciences " firms and have been given virtual carte

blanche from government regulators to alter, reorder, and patent—in

short, to commodify—the very genetic structure of the food we eat.

 

These experimental foods are " stealth " foods, because they have not

been safety-tested, and they are not labeled-- yet they're found in

every grocery store in the U.S., even premium health food stores.

 

Already, in 1998, 45 million acres of U.S. farmland are planted in

genetically altered crops. More than thirty different staple crops,

including corn, cotton, canola, tomato, potato,soy and yellow

squash, have been altered at the DNA level with foreign genes from

viruses, bacteria, and even animals.

 

Three prime examples include: a

tomato with an arctic flounder gene (in order to extend shelf life

by resisting frost); Monsanto Roundup Ready Soy®, designed to resist

Monsanto Roundup® weedkiller; the " New Leaf® " potato, officially

classified as a pesticide by the EPA because it's designed to kill

any Colorado potato beetle unlucky enough to bite into it.

 

What does this pesticidal potato do to humans? Well, even though it

contains genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—which destroy the

intestine of the potato beetle--the FDA considers this potato to

be " substantially equivalent " to the original potato. Safety testing

involved nothing more than feeding laboratory mice a liquid solution

of Bt toxin. The EPA claims the mice " did fine, and had no side

effects. "

No one tested the potato on humans or any other animal.

Other stealth foods include milk produced by dairy cows injected

with genetically engineered growth hormone. The milk is chemically

distinguishable from milk produced without the use of the hormone,

and contains higher levels of a known cancer risk factor, IGF-1

(Insulin Growth Factor-1).

 

Also, some food additives, cheese enzymes, and food supplements are

produced by genetic engineering techniques.

 

In Europe, enormous consumer resistance is partly attributable to

the grim spectre of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), which

some scientists say may claim thousands or possibly even millions

more human victims. Some of the same British authorities who said

the British beef supply was safe in 1990 now diminish resistance to

transgenic food as " fear " .

According to Professor Richard Lacey, who

in 1990 predicted the BSE (mad cow disease) crisis, " it is virtually

impossible to even conceive of a testing procedure to assess the

health effects of genetically engineered foods when introduced into

the food chain, nor is there any valid nutritional or public

interest reason for their introduction. " ]]

 

Recently Professor Lacey

has spoken out strongly against the introduction of genetically

altered foods, because of " the essentially unlimited health risks. "

 

What You Can Do

 

Support the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) or the Council for

Responsible Genetics (CRG), both in Cambridge. Avoid stealth food by

eating only " Certified Organic " food. Volunteer for the Protect

Organic! Campaign, or arrange to have a free slide show at your

home, office, or school. As attorney Joseph Mendelsohn III says, " it

will take the combined will of activists, the public and

international policy makers to halt the spread of this dangerous new

technology. " I believe that the Alliance for Democracy has a

significant role to play in this struggle, and am grateful that the

local and national chapters are looking at ways in which to

participate actively.

 

--Jason Boehk, co-founder of Protect Organic! Campaign, 90 Clay

Street, Cambridge, MA, 02140. Phone/fax: (617) 661-5609.

 

http://www.cqs.com/gmodanger.htm