Beginning in 1996, genes from bacteria and viruses have been forced into the DNA of soy, corn, cotton, and canola plants, which are used for food. Rhetoric from the US government proclaims that these genetically modified (GM) foods are not significantly different from natural plant foods. Don’t believe it. This assertion is political, not scientific. In fact, FDA scientists had privately warned that splicing foreign genes into crops might produce dangerous side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. But the FDA was under orders from the White House to promote GM foods and the political appointee in charge of creating the FDA policy was the former attorney for the biotech giant Monsanto, and later their vice president. So instead of requiring long-term safety studies as the scientists advised, the FDA waived all safety requirements and allow the foods on the market if the company says it is safe.
I recently worked with more than 30 scientists to gather all the health risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into a single book (Genetic Roulette). We found 65. The FDA scientists’ concerns have now been validated. GMOs are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ tested in lab animals. Children are most at risk from the potential dangers.
Radically different from natural breeding, widespread, unpredictable changes
There are lots of industry-propagated myths about GMOs. They paint a picture of the technology as just an extension of the conventional breeding techniques. But independent scientists roll their eyes at this. It just isn’t so. Genetic engineering transfers genes across natural species barriers. A pig can naturally mate with a pig; and a tomato can mate with a tomato. But pigs don’t naturally mate with tomatoes. With genetic engineering, they can put pig genes into tomatoes and vice versa.
Furthermore, it uses imprecise laboratory techniques that bear no resemblance to natural breeding. (For example, they literally shoot genes into cells using a gene gun.) The process creates massive collateral damage, causing hundreds or thousands of mutations throughout the plant’s DNA. Natural genes can be deleted, permanently turned on or off, and hundreds may be altered.
| August 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Jeffery,
Thanks so much for sharing your research with us.
It’s just mind boggling that when our son was born, just 13 short years ago, there were no GM foods. They didn’t exist. And now they are everywhere.
I believe the biggest issue with GM foods is that they haven’t been tested for generations in a confined environment before being released onto our planet without restraint. If all the GM foods except one are great, that one could still cause irreversible damage.
I’m very much looking forward to the rest of what you have to share this week!
MsGreene
| August 16th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
13 years is like a life time ago, no GM foods and the internet was just comming into mainstream! i am amazed with your blog Jeffery your research is so valuable! with out your blog i would never have known there was anything wrong! my hat is off to you!
| October 17th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Not only will GM foods hurt us, make us want to buy medicines to combat their effects the will also kill all the bees. Yes, they are killing our bees because the pollen from GM food are not adsorbed by the intestinal tract and the bees are literally starving to death.
| November 19th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I think we should not use genetically modified foods because they violate the natural organisms’ intrinsic value. We are altering the DNA in food which is not natural. We should leave plants and animals as they are and do not feed them with growth hormones. Also we do not know yet what could be the long term effects of GM foods. Some studies suggest they cause severe and new type of allergy in children which is life threatening. I do not want to trust big biotechnological companies who are altering the DNA of natural foods. Many people are concerned that insects will become resistant and other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor.I am really worried about this Franakenstein stuff.
| November 20th, 2008 at 11:49 am
One of the other concerns related to Gm foods is that it can develop harmful anti-biotic resistant organism which can harm human beings. Also, there is danger that it can harm wildlife. Studies show that using herbicide resistant gm crop can help control the weed better. This can harm the species which lives on weeds.