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Survey of scientists and government ministers exposes complete lack of independent safety testing of GM foods

Independent safety tests of Genetically Modified foods have never been carried out

NLP Wessex 7apr01

Below is a remarkable survey from GM Food UK and World News that reveals that, despite claims to the contrary from senior scientific and political figures, there are no independent studies on GM foods which demonstrate their safety. Not even Sir John Krebs, Chairman of the UK Food Standards Agency, can point to any such studies.

Interestingly the most comprehensive independent testing ever done on GM foods is the work by Dr Pusztai which the British government squashed when it discovered that Dr Pusztai had found damaging effects on laboratory rats. The Royal Society has since called for Dr Pusztai's work to be repeated but the British government is too frightened to do so because of what the results might be.

The reason the independent work by Dr Pusztai was commissioned by the British government in the first place was that it was convinced that it would come up with a favourable result in relation to the safety of the GM potatoes concerned which would then be useful material in claiming that GM foods generally are safe. However, because of the surprising adverse result the British government is no longer prepared to commission such work.

Meanwhile "...food is responsible for twice the number of illnesses in the United States as scientists thought just seven years ago..." (New York Times, 18 March, 2001 - 5,000 deaths, 325,000 hospitalizations and 76 million illnesses). This huge increase has arisen over the time period that GM foods have been introduced in the US but nobody appears to be trying to establish whether there is a connection.

"Why don't we require a pharmaceutical type analysis of the safety of these foods with proper trials?" Jack Cunningham, UK cabinet minister with overall responsibility for biotechnology, raising a variety of issues in relation to GM crops and food in a leaked internal memo to one of his civil servants, February 1999 "We're in a crisis position where we know the weaknesses of the genetic concept, but we don't know how to incorporate it into a more complete understanding. Monsanto knows this. DuPont knows this. Novartis knows this. They all know what I know. But they don't want to look at it because it's too complicated and it's going to cost too much to figure it out." Richard Strohman, Professor Emeritus, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 2000 http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Strohman-Safe-Food.htm

"....things should have been more properly assessed, reviewing all the issues in respect to safety ..... The Chardon LL hearing has raised several safety concerns for government regarding human health.... [there are] a large number of unknowns yet and we'll have to wait and see....the government's got into a very bad position due to bad decisions taken early in the process". Linda Smith, DETR, 4th meeting of the Agriculture & Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC), February 2001. http://www.i-sis.org/AEBCnorwich-pr.shtml  It is essential that the current farmscale trials of GM crops in the UK are cancelled until such time as proper safety testing has been carried out and an inquiry has been held into why such testing has not previously been done.

NATURAL LAW PARTY WESSEX
nlpwessex@bigfoot.com
www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex 

Survey of scientists and government ministers exposes complete lack of independent safety testing of GM foods

Independent safety tests of Genetically Modified foods have never been carried out

7 April 2001

The UK government Department of the Environment Transport and Regions (DETR) has recently announced [1] a new series of Farm-Scale Evaluations (FSEs) of GM crops.

The announcement includes the phrase :

"All of the seeds in the trials have been through years of rigorous safety tests."

Unfortunately this statement is simply untrue. A survey carried out by gmfoodnews.com over the last year has shown that no GM seeds or crops have ever been through rigorous safety tests.

gmfoodnews.com put one of the following questions to a selection of politicians and scientists worldwide :

"Could you please provide references to scientific papers which show that the Genetically Modified corn and soy products currently sold in the US and Europe are safe for feeding to animals and humans."

or :

"Can you point me to independent safety tests which prove the safety of the GM soya and maize products currently being sold in the UK?"

or :

"Can you please provide references to published scientific data from independent safety tests which proves that GM crops are safe for humans, animals and the environment?"

A sample list, of some of the scientists and politicians contacted, can be found in the Appendix of this news release. Not one of the scientists or politicians contacted has been able to provide any evidence of independent safety tests ever having been carried out.

Marcus Williamson of gmfoodnews.com  comments :

"It is appalling that these crops are being used in human and animal food, without comprehensive independent safety testing. These crops should be withdrawn immediately, and any further FSEs stopped, pending an inquiry into why this safety testing has never been done."

Notes for Editors

1. Details of the proposed new GM trial sites can be found on the DETR website at : http://www.press.detr.gov.uk/0104/0209.htm

2. For information about the harm done by GM crops and foods, see : http://www.gmfoodnews.com/gmwrong.html

Contact

Marcus Williamson Genetically Modified Food, UK and World News Website : http://www.gmfoodnews.com/  E-mail : marcus@myrealbox.com

Appendix

A sample of the scientists, UK government and EU ministers contacted includes (in alphabetical order) :

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