GE Free NZ Press Release
Authorities admit there were NO clinical trials on GE food.(1)
The health of New Zealanders and the world population is at stake as a result of the sale of untested GE foods by
multinationals promoting GE crops. The industry has a poor record for reporting and preventing any negative impacts on
health and the environment of their products, but for the first time authorities responsible for protecting the public
have admitted they have conducted no clinical tests on the impact of GE food. This is a grave abuse of their
responsibility to the consumer.
After years of asking for assurances into the safety of GMO's during which the informed public and GE Free NZ has and
been labelled "luddites" and "scientifically ignorant" it is finally admitted there are still no confirmed studies to
follow up the findings of the Rowett Institute on the health effects of GMO's. (1) An EU commentator reported recently
the pro GE lobby had carried out "the most sustained, ruthless and unscrupulous propaganda campaign from corporate
lobbyists, ever witnessed".
It is more concerning that people wanting to avoid the risks of GE foods are being denied any choice. Contamination has
become a major problem in seed stock in the Americas, despite attempts at segregation. There are no longer GE Free
conventional stocks of some crops genetically engineered in recent years and contamination of other grains with GE corn
and soy is becoming problematic.
All GE crops need to go back to the laboratory and undergo proper scientific and clinical testing to prove they are
safe", said Claire Bleakley.
New studies also seem to suggest that gene therapy may have a greater chance of causing cancer than previously
indicated, adding weight to safety concerns.2 Ends Claire Bleakley (06) 3089842
References:
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers text for Friday 13 Jun 2003GM Crops
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what clinical trials have been
conducted into the effects on the human body of the ingestion of GM foods in the (a) long and (b) short term. [118577]
Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is unaware of any clinical trials conducted into
the effects on the human body of the ingestion of genetically modified (GM) Foods. However, a number of research
projects have been funded by the FSA on the safety of GM foods, which have included a project which has examined the
survival of DNA in the digestive tract.
Details of the work funded by the FSA are described in its annual research report.
(2) Cancer Risk Exceeds Outlook in Gene Therapy, Studies Find By ANDREW POLLACK