Genetically Modified Organisms
In 1998, Pusztai discovered (to his hor-
ror) that the Director of the Rowett Insti-
(GMOs)
tute and member of the Advisory Com-
mittee on Novel Foods and Processes
What You Need to Know
(ACNFP) had approved several submis-
sions from biotech companies for their
own varieties of GM soy, corn and to-
matoes TWO YEARS EARLIER. The data
supporting these proposals were flimsy
at best, and the studies were very poorly
done. Despite the inadequacy of safety
data supporting GM food consumption
in humans and animals, 58 million peo-
ple in the UK were eating GM tomatoes,
soy and corn – and had been doing so
for the two preceding years. The approv-
als had been done secretly by the gov-
ernment.
If this were not shocking enough,
when Pusztai began feeding his lectin-
GMO History or Conspiracy Theory
producing potatoes to laboratory rats,
he was stunned at the results. He found
In 1992, the Food and Drug Ad-
that the nutritional content of some GM
ministration declared that they had no
potatoes was markedly different from
information demonstrating that GM
their non-GM parent lines, despite iden-
foods were markedly different from
tical treatment conditions. Furthermore,
conventionally grown foods. They ex-
rats that were fed GM potatoes suffered
trapolated, therefore, that GM foods
damaged immune systems leaving them
must be safe to eat, and that no safety
more vulnerable to infection. The organs
studies were necessary. It later became
of GM-fed rats were smaller than their
known that the FDA’s position was
non-GM counterparts, and structural
staged by political appointees of the
changes in the gastrointestinal tracts of
White House who were promoting
GM-fed rats signaled an increased po-
GMOs. What’s even more alarm-
tential for cancer. From the evidence,
G
enetically modified (GM) or- ing is that the FDA official who
however, it was clear that the lectins
ganisms or food are created created this policy was the former
were not the major cause of health dam-
when the DNA of one species vice president of Monsanto, the largest
age, rather the process of genetic engi-
is spliced into that of another. Genetic biotech company in the U.S. that utilizes
neering itself that damaged the organs
modification in agriculture assures that GM technology.
and immune systems of the rats. This
the DNA of food crops or animals is In 1995, on the other side of the
laboratory process was identical to those
manipulated. The artificial process takes globe, Arpad Pusztai, a distinguished se-
used by the food companies.
place in a laboratory and is a means by nior scientist at the Rowett Institute, was
Arpad Pusztai compiled data and
which man tampers with natural evolu- awarded a £1.6 million research grant
prepared it for publication. He was in-
tion. GMOs can be created with genes by the Scottish Agriculture, Environ-
terviewed by a British TV show and
from insects, viruses, bacteria, animals, ment and Fisheries Department. He and
presented a summary of their research
and even humans. It is a technology that a consortium of scientists were chosen
results. A few days later he was fired
is burdened with uncertainty and grave to create a model for testing GM foods,
from the position he held for 35 years,
safety issues; it may also have disastrous verifying that they were safe to eat. Their
stripped of all his GMO research data,
implications for our health and environ- methods were to become the standard
and silenced by a gag order executed
ment. Sadly, most Americans have been used in Britain and likely throughout the
by his former employer. When the gag
eating GMOs for nearly two decades European Union. Pusztai’s group was
order was finally released some seven
and they don’t even realize it. What is altering the DNA of a potato so that it
months later, Pusztai had something to
the reason for this? Unlike most other would produce its own pesticide, a nat-
say. In fact, Arpad Pusztai had a LOT to
industrialized countries, The U.S. does ural insecticidal poison called a lectin. If
say about the safety of genetically modi-
not require labeling of GMO products. an insect ate one of the GM potatoes, it
fied food and the European media were
What follows is a brief summary of the would quickly die because every cell in
eager to listen.
development of the GMO industry, the the plant manufactured the insecticide.
In 2003, nearly 10 years after GM
dangers associated with GMOs, and The industry’s goal was to mass produce
foods initially surfaced in the American
what you can do to protect yourself and the potato/insecticide so that farmers no
marketplace, President Bush proposed
your family. longer had to spray the fields themselves.
an Initiative to End Hunger in Africa us-
14 NaturalNutmeg
www.naturalnutmeg.com
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