24 May 2011
Unborn NZ Children Exposed To Genetically Engineered Toxin.
New research from Canada has shown that blood in pregnant women and foetuses carried toxins from genetically engineered
(GE) foods, that are also allowed into New Zealand, according to the Soil & Health Association.(1)
Bt toxin Cry1 based insecticides are genetically engineered (GE) into several GE food crops (GE maize, soy, potato and
cotton), which are increasingly imported and used in New Zealand processed foods. Thirty two different GE insect
resistant food lines are permitted for use in New Zealand foods by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the
New Zealand Food Safety Authority (FSANZ).(2)
"The finding that GE toxins and also herbicide residues are being absorbed into consumers and unborn babies blood, shows
that organic and GE-free foods should be first choice for families and especially pregnant women," said Soil & Health - Organic spokesperson Steffan Browning.
"Foods from GE insect and herbicide resistant crops, that carry insecticidal properties and grown with regular dowsing
with herbicides, have never been declined by FSANZ, from being approved for Australian and New Zealand consumers use."
"Labelling of products containing toxic GE foods is woefully inadequate and there are very few foods able to be
correctly identified in food stores, although GE material is now in very many processed food items."
"It does not need to be this way and Government could quickly correct the situation, by placing a moratorium on new GE
food applications, reassessing or withdrawing the approximately seventy GE food lines approved for use in the New
Zealand food supply."
"Animal GE feeding studies have shown to be inadequate but still presenting disturbing health effects, including failure
to thrive, organ damage and reproductive failure, yet FSANZ has continued to lack precaution in its GE food approval
process." (3,4)
"Approved in 2000, Monsanto's Mon 810 corn became one of the most common GE crops produced, and the Cry1Ab insecticide
engineered into it and found in mothers and foetal blood in the Canadian research, was described in the Approval
evaluation as, "...equally unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to human cells via the
digestive tract..." This has been found to be incorrect, and all GE foods approved must now be reassessed or withdrawn,"
said Mr Browning. (5)
"Herbicides such as glyphosate and glufosinate, used on herbicide resistant GE crops, are also increasingly being shown
to cause birth and developmental changes. Organic production does not use herbicides on crops." (6)
"GE foods are unnecessary, and are unsustainable in production, damaging biodiversity, soil biology, soil structure, and
pollute neighbouring environments. Now evidence shows that the GE toxins and herbicides used on them are polluting
generations of people."
Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020 that disallows genetic engineering in the food and environment of Aotearoa New
Zealand.
References:
(1) http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/13047-bt-toxin-found-in-blood-of-pregnant-women-and-fetuses http://somloquesembrem.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/arisleblanc2011.pdf
(3) http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10/ Seralini et al have conducted studies showing organ damage in rats fed GE food. The latest report is using the material
including industry funded studies and shows the food safety authority is not adequately testing GE foods. Extract from
latest French report (2): The 90-day-long tests are insufficient to evaluate chronic toxicity, and the signs highlighted
in the kidneys and livers could be the onset of chronic diseases. However, no minimal length for the tests is yet
obligatory for any of the GMOs cultivated on a large scale, and this is socially unacceptable in terms of consumer
health protection. We are suggesting that the studies should be improved and prolonged, as well as being made
compulsory, and that the sexual hormones should be assessed too, and moreover, reproductive and multigenerational
studies ought to be conducted too.
(4) de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on
Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726. http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
(5) Page 56 http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Application%20A346%20Draft%20IR.pdf "...It is extremely unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to bacteria in the human digestive
tract because of the number of complex and unlikely steps that would need to take place consecutively. It is equally
unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to human cells via the digestive tract..."
ends