World renowned scientist lost his job when he warned about GE foods

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World renowned scientist lost his job when he warned about GE foods

_http://www.psrast.org/pusztai.htm_ (http://www.psrast.org/pusztai.htm)

 

 

Dr Arpad Pusztai evoked world wide media attention in August 1998, when he

said in British TV that he would not eat genetically engineered food

because of the insufficient testing procedures they have undergone.

 

 

Pusztai is a world renowned expert on food safety, who worked at UK's

leading food safety research lab, the Rowett institute. His statement obviously

threatened to damage the then ongoing multimillion PR campaign of the

Biotech industry to create public confidence in GE foods. A few days after his

public appearance he was suspended and gagged by the research institute

where he worked.

 

 

Pointed out weakness in present food regulations

 

 

Dr Pusztai*s pointed out that substances in Genetically Engineered (GE)

foods that have a slow acting effect would not be detected because present

regulations do not require long term safety testing. The regulations

prescribe an approval procedure based on the principle of substantial

equivalence

_http://www.psrast.org/subeqow.htm_ (http://www.psrast.org/subeqow.htm) .

In practice this procedure allows very superficially tested foods to be

approved. As an illustrative example, he mentioned fresh results from his

research on certain pesticidal Lectins (Pusztai is recognized as a world leading

expert on Lectins). Pusztai found that rats developed immune system

defects and stunted growth after a time period corresponding to 10 years of

human life.

 

 

Humiliating statements displayed about Pusztai

 

 

A few days after his appearance on TV and Radio, the Rowett intstitute

suspended Pusztai. It was said that the GE potatoes were not intended to be

used as food. It was maintained that the results reported by Dr Pusztai were

misleading because he had mixed up the results of different studies. In

that context it was pointed out that he was old (68), giving the impression of

a senile and confused person. It was also said that the research had not

been done on GE potatoes but on a mixture of natural potatoes and Lectin. It

was indicated in a humiliating way that the quality of Dr Pusztai's

research was deficient. The formal reason for his suspension was that he had

presented the results publicly before they had been reviewed by other

scientists

(peer review) as required by the Rowett Institute. At the same time as he

was suspended, he was disallowed to speak with the media to defend himself

(which would have revealed the misleading information from Rowett

Institute). A scientific committe was asked by the Rowett institute to review

the

study Pustai referred to. It said there were important deficiencies in the

study.

 

 

Independent scientists confirmed the correctness of Pusztais conclusions

 

 

Pusztai then sent the research protocols to 24 independent scientists in

different countries. These turned down the conclusions of the review

committee and found that his research was of good quality and justified his

conclusions. They found that Pusztai had not mixed up any results. Scientists

and

physicians (including the undersigned), who had been in touch with Pusztai

confirmed that he was perfectly clear-minded with no signs of confusion or

memory defects.

 

 

**Breathtaking impertinence** by Royal society according to Lancet

 

 

Then a second review committe was appointed by the Royal Society in UK. It

again concluded that Pusztai*s results were inconclusive: yes, even

flawed.

 

A world leading scientific journal found the judgement of the Royal

Society **a gesture of breathtaking impertinence** (Lancet, Editorial, May 22,

p1769). Pusztai has pointed out a number of obvious deficencies in this

review report, see also the interview below and Dr Pusztai*s website, where he

explains this in detail.

 

 

Harmful GE potatoes would have been approved

 

 

Recently Pusztai has also said that the lectin potatoes he had been

studying were indeed intended for food although that was denied by the Rowett

institute. That was the reason why he wanted to make the alarming results

known. Had not Pusztai*s long term study revealed the danger, the GE lectin

potatoes might very well have turned up on the market, as formally they were

**substantially equivalent** with the natural variety, Pusztai said. This

case demonstrates the serious insufficiency of the present regulations for

food safety that don*t demand long term testing of GE foods, see Substantial

equivalence versus scientific food safety assessment.

_http://www.psrast.org/subeqow.htm_ (http://www.psrast.org/subeqow.htm) This

is the probable

reason why great efforts were made to suppress the truth and to **kill**

the messenger.

 

 

At a recent international conference on Food Safety in Edinburgh, Pusztai

was repeatedly attacked and prevented from speaking, see Report about

professor Pusztai at the OECD/Edinburgh GE Food Safety Conference in March

2000.

_http://www.psrast.org/puszedinb.htm_ (http://www.psrast.org/puszedinb.htm)

 

 

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Comment by PSRAST

 

 

It seems obvious from the press statements by the Rowett institute from

August 1998, that it changed its story from first saying that Pusztai had

mixed up the results (which was not true) to saying that the results were not

obtained from genetically manipulated potatoes but from normal potatoes

mixed with the harmful substance, Lectin (which also was not true). Later it

was said, that Pusztai may be right but more studies are needed. Such changes

and contradictory statements demonstrate that the institute was

manipulating the truth.

 

 

The manipulations were such as to harm Pusztai*s credibility. Because

Pusztai was gagged by the institute, he could not publicly defend himself. The

news about Pusztais **mistakes** was effectively distributed all over the

world. People were lead to believe that there was no scientific basis for

his warning about GE foods.

 

 

As multibillion dollar investments are at stake in the GE food case,

drastic actions by the industry to protect these interests are not surprising.

Rather it would be contrary to their responsibility towards the owners not

to act with maximum force in such a case.

 

 

The Rowett institute is formally a charitable and independent institute.

But in practice, since the Thathcher government reduced the funding of such

research institutes considerably, it has become dependent on the industry.

While formally remaining a charitable institute, **Rowett Research

Services**, a commercial subsidiary of the institute was created. The profit of

this subsidiary is donated to the Rowett institute, that therefore in practice

is dependent on the industry for its existence. It has later been revealed

that Monsanto had given the Rowett Research Services a $224,000 grant prior

to Pusztai*s interview at BBC.

 

 

Considering the dependence of Rowett institute on industrial support, it

seems probable that it was persuaded, if not forced to deny the truth and

create a cover up story to discredit Pusztai. As Pusztai was the first

internationally renowned food safety expert who dared to warn for GE foods, the

industry had strong incentives to press hard for " co-operation " by the Rowett

institute in disarming this " News bombshell " that shook the whole world.

 

 

The strategy obviously was to divert public attention away from the GE

food safety issue Pusztai raised, which was actually not dependent on his

results. In stead the attention was drawn to disputes about his conclusions and

about his competence. In a most deplorable way, the society of scientists

contributed to this diversion, apparently doing its best to discredit the

messenger in stead of observing the serious problem he addressed.

 

 

How many unknown cases are there of scientists who did not have the

courage of dr Pusztai and chose, in order not to risk their job and career, to

keep quiet about their concerns about the lacking safety of GE foods?

Considering that it is an undeniable scientific fact that the GE foods are not

safe, it is remarkable that very few food safety experts have made similar

comments. Ironically, one who did so, one year after the Pusztai interview, was

professor Andrew Chesson, the top scientist at Rowett Institute who held

in the axe when he was sacked. He said **Potentially disastrous effects may

come from undetected harmful substances in Genetically Modified Foods.**

(Daily Mail, UK, 13 Sept 1999. See also BBC news 7 sept 1999

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/440352.stm_ (

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/440352.stm) ). Dr Chesson is vice chairman

of European Commission scientific

committee on animal nutrition. Before this statement he was known as an

advocate for food biotechnology.

 

For more about industrial suppression of scientific truth, see

Dysfunctional science - Towards a **pseudoscientfic world order** ?

_http://www.psrast.org/crisisofsci.htm_ (http://www.psrast.org/crisisofsci.htm)

 

 

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Related articles

 

 

-- New! Leading Scientist sacked after presidential intervention because

of critisizing GE foods. A sensational turn of the Arpad Pusztai affair.

_http://www.psrast.org/pusztblair.htm_

(http://www.psrast.org/pusztblair.htm)

 

 

-- Interview with Dr Pusztai where he tells the story from his

perspective.

_http://www.psrast.org/pusztinterv.htm_

(http://www.psrast.org/pusztinterv.htm)

 

 

-- **Thorkilds page on the Pusztai case** . A Danish scientist, dr

Thorkild, has compiled most of the articles and materials associated with the

case.

_http://plab.ku.dk/tcbh/Pusztaitcbh.htm_

(http://plab.ku.dk/tcbh/Pusztaitcbh.htm)

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Stoneleigh

Newfoundland Coordinator

GLOBAL RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

and other Chemically Induced Illnesses, Diseases & Injury

affecting civilians and military personnel

_www.mcs-global.org_ (http://www.mcs-global.org/)

More coordinators needed!

 

 

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