The safety of GE foods questioned
The safety of GE foods questioned
Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics question the future safety of genetically engineered foods. The US National Academy of Sciences and the editors of Nature Biotechnology have warned that transgenic material engineered into crops to produce pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals could cross to crops grown for human consumption.
Their further statement that current containment strategies do not work reliably in the field confirms that made about field trails in Australia. Over 300 field trials of transgenic pharmaceutical crops are reportedly underway in the USA. Most of these use corn because it is a prolific pollinator. One projection is that biopharming will comprise ten percent of the US corn crop by 2010. Biopharmaceutical companies are pushing for the removal of buffer zones and have proposed extracting drugs or chemicals from plants then selling the remainder of the crop.
Further contamination of the human food supply is inevitable and the long awaited Law Commission's Report on Liability gives no answers.
(164 words)
Press
Release from PSRG - Physicians and Scientists for
Responsible Genetics
Tuesday, 23 July 2002.
PSRG has no affiliations with industry or any political party.
ENDS