The Pusztai Story for U.S. Readers

Jill Davies 19feb99

A primary concern about genetically engineered (GE) crops is that there are lots of assumptions being made about their safety and lack of health effects without these assumptions having been carefully tested. Of particular concern is the insertion into the food supply of transgenetic varieties which have been engineered to express a particular pesticide which kills target insects. Corn, cotton (of which the oil is used in foods), and potatoes are crops which express a pesticide (Bt toxin) in every cell of the organism. They are now being extensively grown in the US and Canada and are already in the food supply in various forms. What health effects might occur from eating these foods? Little is known because comprehensive safety testing is not required. It is assumed by the regulating agencies that if the organisms in question (host and transfer genes) are already in the food supply in some form, or are naturally occurring, then they are "substantially equivalent" to what is already considered safe.

One study, however, has recently opened the lid on this question. Conducted by an experienced and highly respected scientist at the Rowett Research Institute in Scotland, the objective of the study was to investigate potential health effects of potatoes that had been engineered to express an insecticidal compound (lectin) from the snowdrop plant, by feeding them to rats and evaluating their metabolism and organ development. They used unmodified potatoes as the control. The results astonished the scientist, Dr. Arpad Pusztai, a leading authority on lectins who has published 270 scientific papers, and had been working with the snowdop lectin for seven years, using it in these trials precisely because it was not thought to be toxic to mammals.

Dr. Pusztai first compared the tg (transgenic) potatoes with the parental (non-altered) potatoes to test for substantial equivalence. He found that the amounts of protein, starch, and sugars in the compared potatoes were different. This meant that there was no 'substantial equivalence' in the tg potatoes and that this was evidence of possible gene silencing, suppression, and/or alteration of neighboring genes as a result of gene insertion. That was a monumental finding in itself, but the study went further to find, after feeding and analysis, that with the tg potatoes there were significant reductions in the weights of many organs, including the intestine, pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs, and brain. There were increases in the weights of the thymus (related to the immune system), the prostate, and the gastrocnemius muscle. The immune response was depressed and there was evidence of intestinal infection which was thought to be a result of the virus vector (cauliflower mosaic virus) that was used to carry the lectin genes into the host.

In August, 1998, Dr. Pusztai went on television to report on these results. The British national press was alerted and the next day there were front page headlines warning about GE foods. Then, suddenly, the director of the research institute, changed his tune and began to publicly debunk the study, Pusztai was suspended and had a gag order imposed, and articles generated by the director destroyed Pusztai's credibility and even attacked his personal character. The issue died, and most people accepted the idea that some crucial error had been made. But Pusztai hasn't given up. He distributed his report of the study to colleagues around the world and on February 12, 1999, a press conference was called at which he presented a joint statement from 21 scientists from 13 different countries stating that the conclusions were justified, and that the study methods and data were sound. The group included genetic engineers, medical experts and toxicologists. The British press has literally exploded with the story. Every major newspaper and TV station is now running front page/prime time coverage.

Questions are being asked: Why was the study suppressed? Why was Monsanto involved and meeting so often with government officials? How safe is our food supply? How many products on the grocery shelves have GE materials in them? Why aren't they labeled. Now there is a loud call from the British public for a moratorium on the growing of any GE crop, for a total ban on the import of GE foods, and for labeling. The government is in disarray over the issue.

Dr. Pusztai, at 68, with 35 years of lectin research under his belt, is glad that he is being vindicated, but very depressed that the establishment is not interested in the truth. His final comment: "as one of the most internationally renowned lectin experts, I can say with confidence....that I could never recommend most, if any, of the lectin genes for use in transgenic crop plants destined for human consumption. As Bt toxin is also a lectin, and its gene is used in transgenic maize, and potatoes and, undoubtedly in many other plants, the above statement has a clear relevance to its safety. Clearly, it is the duty of whoever introduces Bt-toxin-containing transgenic plants into the food chain to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it is safe for the consumer."

In the U.S., around 25 million acres of Bt crops were grown in 1998, 25% of the total acres of corn and 45% of the total acres of cotton. This is expected to increase in 1999. Why has there not been one word about the Pusztai findings nor questions about these GE foods in the U.S. press?

~~~~~ Jill Davies ~~~ River Care ~~~~

"You can do whatever you don't know you can't do."

nox2228@montana.com