Another genetically-modified (GM) corn variety, approved for food, feed, processing, and propagation in the Philippines has been shown by studies to be potentially toxic to humans. The new research, carried out by a French scientific research institute(1), involves biotech firm Monsanto’s NK603 GMO corn (marketed commercially under the name Round-up Ready) which was approved as food and feed in the country in 2003, and for propagation in 2005.
The scientific study released this week highlights 60 significant differences between laboratory rats fed with the GMO corn NK603 and those fed with normal corn for 90 days. The first group showed differences in their kidney, brain, heart and liver measurements, as well as significant weight differences which may be potential warning signs of toxicity.
“This new study on the GMO corn NK603 shows that the scientific evidence on dangerous GMO health risks is piling up. It also shows that the current system that evaluates the safety of GMOs cannot be trusted. Greenpeace is demanding that the Department of Agriculture (DA) immediately withdraw this and other GMOs from the market and revoke their approval, as well as enact a moratorium on all other GMO approvals,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Genetic Engineering Campaigner Daniel Ocampo.
Last March, a similar study concluded that another Monsanto GMO corn, MON863, also approved as food in the Philippines, was also potentially harmful to humans. Greenpeace says that this latest study has now cast further doubt over the approval process of GMOs, and is demanding an immediate market withdrawal and a moratorium on GMO approvals.
The DA has been under heavy criticism from Greenpeace over its decision to retain the approval of the said GMO corn MON863, which was proven to have adverse effects on the liver and kidneys of mammals. Although the government agency has publicly committed to a reevaluation of the GMO, no disclosure has been made so far regarding developments in their assessment.
“The DA cannot continue its careless attitude toward GMOs and expose humans to unacceptable health risks which clearly they are in a position to prevent,” said Ocampo.
The corn is also under scrutiny in the EU. The scientists who conducted the study analyzed Monsanto’s own test results, which had informed the EU food safety authority’s decision to approve the corn for sale. Their report (2) suggests that a far more thorough investigation is necessary. Neither Monsanto nor the scientific committees consulted on the feeding trials disputed the differences found in the test animals compared to the control group. However, they dismissed the results as “not of biological significance”. The study questions that conclusion.
As in the EU, safety assessment of GMOs in the Philippines also rely on analysis submitted by the GMO companies themselves.
“It is alarming that a company which produces a genetically-engineered crop not only gets to design and conduct the safety tests of its own product, but also to analyze the results. The lack of any independent scrutiny of test data suggests that risk assessment procedures overlook the threats and do not assess risks at all, just rubberstamping company dossiers,” said Ocampo.
Greenpeace campaigns for GE-free crop and food production grounded on the principles of sustainability, protection of biodiversity, and providing all people access to safe and nutritious food. Genetic-engineering is an unnecessary and unwanted technology that contaminates the environment, threatens biodiversity, and poses unacceptable risks to health.
5 responses so far ↓
rallyround // June 19, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Smaller brains! Now we know the reason why people living in the USA who have been used as guinea pigs eating GM food for some years now vote the way they do.
William // June 21, 2007 at 1:12 am
Sad to say, you are right about us Americans. That we do not demand mandatory labeling for GMO’s when companies like Monsanto are “morphing” our food suppy is really stupid of us. Polls show that 80-90% of Americans want labeling for GMO foods, but it isn’t happening. If we’re not smart enough to get that done, then we deserve to eat whatever Monsanto puts in front of us.
pjwalker911 // June 21, 2007 at 2:39 am
Just boycott the mainstream supermarkets because 90% of what they sell is not good for you. The produce comes from all over the world and it’s quality cannot be tracked. Get your produce from either the local farmer’s market or one of the organic chains or grow your own. We don’t have to eat this crap and intelligent people will find ways to get good healthy foods no matter what they pull. Best to let the free-market push change rather than trusting the government to keep you safe. They won’t.
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