Known unknows
This comes as France is trying to get the European Union to ban GMO crops completely. (See: France pushes to ban Monsanto’s GMO corn across the entire EU.) As Dr Sirinathsinghji noted,
The EU commission approved this crop in 2009, concluding that it “is as safe as its conventional counterpart with respect to potential effects on human and animal health”. In response to their publication the research team raised questions about the safety assessment procedure stating that their findings were a “surprising outcome and this risk was somehow overlooked” in past assessments of such crops.
Overlooked, indeed. As we noted earlier, Monsanto has been systematically blocking research into the toxic affects of their pet chemicals, as well as attacking scientists who dare to speak out against them. (See: Monsanto blocks research on GMO safety.)
Bump.
And then there’s this:
“French Researchers Speculate Roundup May Cause Organ Failure
By M. Sutherland 2/5/2009
....According to Brad Mitchell, a director of public affairs at Monsanto, some of the financial support for this research came from the Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN). Seralini has been the chairman of the Scientific Council for CRIIGEN since 1999. Seralini and this organization are well known for their anti-biotechnology positions.
“These Petri dish experiments, like the previous related experiments from Seralini’s group, have no relevance to a living animal and provide no information about real-world risks to humans,” Donna Farmer, Monsanto’s chemistry stewardship lead, said. “Instead, they tell us what we already know; that substances can injure unprotected cells in a test-tube.”
“The experiments were conducted in very artificial conditions and the results are not relevant for proving toxicity in humans,” Farmer said. “Caffeine was used in a similar Petri dish experiment with the same results. The surfactant effects are also not surprising—surfactants found in a variety of personal care products and household detergents can alter the function of cells in Petri dish experiments.”
“Additionally, the current body of animal data also contradicts the findings of the Petri dish experiments,” Farmer said. “Glyphosate has an excellent human health and environmental profile, and a long history of safe use for over 30 years in more than 130 countries. Roundup Ready crops treated with Roundup brand glyphosate herbicide formulations are as safe as conventional crops.”
http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/French-Research-Roundup.aspx
..Wilfredo Ordonez, who has harvested corn, sesame and rice for more than 30 years in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador, was hit by the chronic disease when he was 38. Ten years later, he depends on dialysis treatments he administers to himself four times a day. 'This is a disease that comes with no warning, and when they find it, it's too late,...
Welcome to the asylum of our era. Food poisoning on a grand scale, by geniuses who are working on a better, artifical, man made, everything...
bump
...microscopic pathogen appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings." He said the pathogen appears to be connected to use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup.
...In his letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Huber said the organism has been found in high concentrations of Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, which are used in livestock feed. He said laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the organism in pigs, cattle and other livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and infertility
Drawing any conclusions about Bt or Monsanto from trash like this is a fools errand. And anyone who thinks going back to pre Bt corn, that was loaded with mycotoxins (that have been proven to cause a variety of cancers (brain, liver, kidney) and other illnesses), is a good thing, is also a fool.
I'd bet that this "research," in time, is shown to be the agenda driven, money grabbing, obtain the desired conclusion, nonsense that I suspect it is.
In the meantime, the Yurps can continue to protect their farmers by denying imports of our food products. Luddites and protectionists....they make such logical, and brain dead, partners.