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GMO Truths and Consequences


Health and Safey are Question Marks


by Melinda Hemmelgarn T


he food industry tells con- sumers that genetically engineered foods are


safe. On university cam- puses, agriculture students learn that such genetically modified organisms (GMO) are both safe and neces- sary to feed the world. The Council for Biotechnology Information, a biotech indus- try-supported nonprofit, even created a coloring book to teach children about the many benefits of GMO crops, including improved nutrition.


Most GMO crops have been geneti- cally engineered to withstand spraying with herbicides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup-Ready soybeans, or to produce their own pesticides, such as “Bt” corn and cotton. Bill Freese, a science policy analyst at the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, warns us to be leery of simplistic claims that don’t take into account unintended consequences. For example, he points out that, “GMO crops have nothing to do with feeding the world, because almost all genetically engineered crops are corn and soybeans... used to feed livestock in rich countries, or to feed automobiles.” Approximately 40 percent of corn


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currently is used to make ethanol. Freese adds, “They don’t increase yields and they don’t increase nutrition.” But GMO crops have led to a staggering increase in herbicide use, putting both farmers and consum- ers at greater risk for exposure to these toxins and related diseases, according to the Center for Food Safety. So the question is: Are GMOs the panacea industry


wants us to believe, or are they contributing to chronic dis- ease? Here are three claims commonly heard about GMOs, generally made by the biotechnology industry and their funded researchers.


Claim: GMOs are safe.


Fact Check: Little research exists on the long-term ef- fects of consuming GMO foods. According to Douglas Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, safety assessments have left us with significant uncertainties about whether GMO food is safe or not. However, concerns voiced by the Center for Food Safety revolve around poten- tial allergens and toxins from both herbicide and pesticide residues and new genetic material.


New research from the European Union published in Food and Chemical Toxicol- ogy adds to growing concerns about the risks. Researchers discovered that rats fed GMO corn and drinking water contain- ing Roundup herbicide experienced negative health effects during their


two-year lifespan, including mammary tumors and disabled pituitary function in females, and liver and kidney damage in males. These outcomes were attributed to the endocrine- disrupting effects of Roundup, as well as the genetic makeup of the engineered corn. What makes this study unique and troubling is that it’s


the longest such study period to date. Most studies funded and conducted by industry last just 90 days—not long enough to fully document potential harm. Michael Hansen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at Consumer


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