Posted on 11/21/2008 7:56:53 AM PST by Scythian
Advocates Call for Immediate Ban of All GM Foods and GM Crops
IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 13, 2008)
(Los Angeles, CA.) - A long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, managed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health, Family and Youth, and carried out by Veterinary University Vienna, confirms genetically modified (GM) corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice. Non-GMO advocates, who have warned about this infertility link along with other health risks, now seek an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.
Feeding mice with genetically modified corn developed by the US-based Monsanto Corporation led to lower fertility and body weight, according to the study conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Lead author of the study Professor Zentek said, there was a direct link between the decrease in fertility and the GM diet, and that mice fed with non-GE corn reproduced more efficiently.
In the study, Austrian scientists performed several long-term feeding trials over 20 weeks with laboratory mice fed a diet containing 33% of a GM variety (NK 603 x MON 810), or a closely related non-GE variety used in many countries. Statistically significant litter size and pup weight decreases were found in the third and fourth litters in the GM-fed mice, compared to the control group.
The corn is genetically modified with genes that produce a pesticidal toxin, as well as genes that allow it to survive applications of Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup.
A book by author Jeffrey M. Smith, Genetic Roulette, distributed to members of congress last year, documents 65 serious health risks of GM products, including similar fertility problems with GM soy and GM corn: Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce. Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells. The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning. Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties. Additionally, over the last two months, investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products.
The principle GM crops are soy, corn, cottonseed and canola. GM sugar from sugar beets will also be introduced before year’s end.
Mr. Smith, who is also the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology says, “GM foods are likely responsible for several negative health trends in the US. The government must impose an immediate ban on these dangerous crops.” He says, “Consumers don’t need to wait for governmental action. They can download a free Non-GMO Shopping Guide at www.HealthierEating.org.”
Monsanto press offices in the UK and USA were unable to provide a comment on the findings for journalists yesterday.
The Institute for Responsible Technology’s Campaign for Healthier Eating in America mobilizes citizens, organizations, businesses, and the media, to achieve the tipping point of consumer rejection of genetically modified foods.
The Institute educates people about the documented health risks of GMOs and provides them with healthier non-GMO product choices.
The Institute also informs policy makers and the public around the world about the impacts of GMOs on health, environment, the economy, and agriculture, and the problems associated with current research, regulation, corporate practices, and reporting.
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Institute For Responsible Technology Media Contact: NJ Jaeger Expert Contact: Jeffrey M. Smith Email: njmail@cox.net Phone: +1-310-377-0915
The law of unintended consequences will apply here also.
No matter how smart we think we are, no matter how sure we are we covered all the bases, something unexpected always turns up.
Other examples of genetic engineering experiments that have already been done include:
* Spider/Goat – taking a gene from a spider that leads to the production of spider web and putting it into goats so the goats can then be milked for the spider web protein.
* Fish/Strawberries – taking a gene from an Arctic flounder and putting it into a strawberry to try to make it frost-resistant.
* Corn/Human – taking a human gene and putting it into corn so that the corn contains human antibodies that attack sperm. The idea is to develop the corn as a plant-gel contraceptive that kills sperm on contact.
Are GMOs grown in Hawaii?
Hawaii has more experimental field trials of genetic engineering than any other state in the nation. Just a few of the many examples of permits granted for field trials include:
* Corn engineered with human genes (Dow)
* Sugarcane engineered with human genes (Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center)
* Corn engineered with jellyfish genes (Stanford University)
* Tobacco engineered with lettuce genes (University of Hawai‘i)
* Rice engineered with human genes (Applied Phytologics)
* Corn engineered with hepatitis virus genes (Prodigene)1
YUM!!
If these results *can* be reproduced elsewhere....over and over again....then this might be noteworthy.Otherwise,AFAIK,it's just so much left wing Barbara Streisand.
He's also one of those PETA people.
Nature’s been doing this for eons, we’re all dead (-’]
The problem with this particular type of GM corn is that it was altered to produce toxins. It wasn’t altered to make a fruit less prone to freezing, or to produce material to help fight a disease. The GM corn was altered so that it was poisonous.
Do you want to eat something that is toxic? Imagine what it does to birds who eat the corn in the field? Birds are an effective predator of insects and some also eat corn, so we are really messing with a part of the ecosystem recklessly.
I’m not opposed to GM food generally, but some ideas are just plain stupid! This GM corn, for example.
All corn is genetically modiefied. Only the method of modification varies.
So what? I never said that I was opposed to genetic modification of food or corn. Just that some ideas are stupid, and by use of commonsense shouldn’t be attempted.
Commonsense doesn’t seem to be all that common.
You forgot one of the biggest - GM Wheat!!!! All of the wheat we eat has been genetically modified to produce bigger kernals and more gluten. Both my kids have Celiac disease (severe wheat intolerance) so I have done extensive research into this.
Because of this, the number is rising of people with wheat/gluten sensitivity. Wheat/gluten intolerance is directly known to affect the brain and autism. Most doctors reccomend autistic children have a GF (gluten free) diet. Notice how there is a rise in autism and gluten sensitivity lately! Irritable bowel, Crohns disease, arthritis, asthma, and some forms of mental illness are also being attributed to the gluten in wheat. In addition it can also cause infertility problems. 1 in 20 people have gluten intolerance (although may not be diagnosed.) The average is for someone to suffer for 7 years before the doctors figure out gluten.
Remember when we were little and would fall down and mamma would give you a cookie to make it feel better (or women pig out treats you know when) - its because the gluten is a feel good neuro transmitter that reacts in the brain. By messing with wheat genically, we are causing huge imbalances that the human body cannot handle.
And also in case anyone is wondering where I get my research from, besides have 2 Gluten Intolerant (Celiac Disease) children - I have three degrees in horticulture - aka plant science.
I’m sorry to hear that HomeSchoolMama, and I know exactly what you are saying and agree. It’s amazing to hear these dolts on here cheerleading for those whom soon they will not be so happy with, they are uneducated in this matter, I am not.
Exactly, they are even using Jellyfish cells, transgenic nematodes, and worse. I wonder if mr PHD knows that Agrobacterium has been proven to make the cross-kingdom jump from plant to animal, and is just as happy to live in mans body as in a plant. The science is there for those that want to learn, however, for those with fancy learnin’ there is no hope. There’s more that I could say but won’t.
Mom said don’t play with your food.
The manufacturer of this type of seed modified it to poison their consumers? Is that what you believe? Good grief, that's just as wacky as this "study."
This corn was developed to resist insect infestation which is responsible for causing diseases. Bt-corn (and I am assuming that this is the type of corn they are addressing here) has been proven to produce an average of 900% less mycotoxins than non-GM corn. Mycotoxins have been shown to cause all sorts of cancers and liver toxicity in animals as well as spina bifida in humans.
I've read about one study where the average content of just one type of mycotoxin in non-GM corn was more than 11 micrograms per gram of seed and only about 1.3 micrograms per gram of seed in GM corn samples. Bt corn is designed to fight insects known as corn borers. This insect creates holes in the corn that allows for fusarium molds to enter thereby producing the mycotoxins that are so dangerous. Stopping the corn borers results in significantly reduced levels of mycotoxins.
Using GM corn dramatically reduces the need for using insecticides and this is highly beneficial to third world countries where increased food production is critical for survival. In the past, the spraying of insecticides would leave precious ground water contaminated in these poor countries subjecting the people who rely on it to all sorts of afflictions.
And you think this GM corn is stupid and recklessly endangers the ecosystem? If so, keep enjoying your organic, mycotoxin laden corn. The EU has harbored unfounded fears of GM foods for a long time. This fear is a result of stupidity and the political need to protect their inefficient farmers from competition. Let's hope we don't fall for the same stupidity.
LOL! We've seen what passes for scientific knowledge in your postings. There's more you could say but you won't because, as usual, you really don't understand the subject you're addressing. Scientific illiteracy in the debate over food safety is rampant. Illiterates want to know that there is no risk in the production and consumption of genetically modified food. I can't think of any endeavor, especially in the production of food, where no risk exists. Can you? The better question to be asking is what are the comparative risks and benefits (to farmers consumers and the environment) of transgenic foods vs. conventional foods. Safe is not defined as zero probability.
Of course, to the uninformed, this is not an acceptable answer and, given the vast number of scientists in the world, they can always find some who will support the anti-trangenics (or any other anti movement fear and the media foments) cause. After all, there are anti-evolutionist scientists out there as well as scientists who believe HIV doesn't cause AIDS.
Had the scientific illiterates controlled the debate back int he 60's the Green Revolution would never have happened. There are easily a billion people alive today thanks to Norman Borlaug. I wonder if Borlaug had to contend with other scientists crying wolf about frankenfood and gnashing their teeth about terminator genes? If so, it's a good thing we didn't listen to them back then. Billions of people around the world would agree. Hopefully, we're smart enough to ignore them today.
You explained the brain part better than I did - I deal with the plants. I was paraphrasing!
I deal with the end of crossbreeding and the genetically modifying. Basically the screwing around with plants - which alot of people don’t want to believe is done to our food supply but is.
However as far as gluten is concerned - much of the research I have done (as a celiac and parent of) does point to removal of gluten and wheat make changes in behavior as well as health. I am sure you can agree that is why it is removed from most autistics. Most people can handle gluten. But for someone with celiac large amounts (or even the tiniest amount) of gluten they cannot. There has even been a link found between Multiple Sclerosis and gluten - again that brain thing.
Unfortunately the doctors in the US do not want to look at the possibly link between wheat and disease. The wheat industry is so vital to our economy. However, it has been something researched in Europe for decades now and the US has been behind and only finally recognizing wheat as an allergan and requiring it to be listed on allergan warning ingredient listings. Last year there were complaints from the wheat industry about lost sales due to many food companies going gluten-free!
Why more disease, rise in autism, more health problems... because the wheat has been gentically altered to provide more gluten.
My point - we need to stop screwing around with God’s handiwork!
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