Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Biotechnology

Magazine Duped by anti-GM Activist – A Case of More of the Same

By

I SUBSCRIBE to a magazine called Quadrant.   It comes out every couple of months and often includes interesting articles by well-known Australian conservatives, libertarians and mavericks on a range of topics from dinning in New York to global warming and it is the only magazine I read that includes pages of poetry. 

When I first took out my subscription to the magazine it was edited by a fellow called Paddy McGuinness – a Veteran Sydney journalist who apparently once worked for a Russian bank in London and for many years was editor of the Australian Financial Review.  In an interview before his death last year, Paddy said that he had been able “to ‘re-establish’ Quadrant as a ‘sceptical and non-ideological’ journal in the conservative spirit of Samuel Johnson, the literary colossus of 18th century England.”

[Read more…] about Magazine Duped by anti-GM Activist – A Case of More of the Same

Asians will Eat GM

By

FYI all,

 

Thought you might be interested to see this release from a recent survey of Asian consumers on their perception of biotechnology derived foods.   The results are quite positive and provide evidence that Asian consumers in five countries are ready to accept the benefits of these foods. The study was commissioned by the Asian Food Information Council, (AFIC) a non-profit organisation that communicates science based information on food safety, nutrition and health information to media, regulators and consumers in Asia. 

 

This information is available on the AFIC website – http://afic.org/2008/IdealsEngine/_filesmgr/File/Food%20Biotechnology%20Executive%20Summary.pdf.  You can view the press release at http://www.afic.org/2008/pressrelease.php?news_id=818&start=0&category_id=3&parent_id=3&arcyear=&arcmonth= or below.

 

Note that AFIC is currently analysing the individual data from each country and will be releasing summaries for each country in the near future.  I will circulate these to you when available. 

 

Thanks & regards,

Keryn

GM Becomes Election Issue in Western Australia

By

The growing of genetically modified (GM) food crops is currently illegal in several Australian states including Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter has promised to continue the ban while the opposition Liberal Party says it will allow these crops if it wins the September 6 election.

Read more here: http://gmobelus.com/news.php?viewStory=124

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Food Safety

By

Dear Jennifer,

I have been spending a pleasant Saturday morning doing gardening at the GMO Pundit safety paper list. It’s now a bit neater at the start.

I’ve added a few more papers to bring it over 200.

Most importantly, I’ve added a button at the right sidebar near the top

“200 plus GM food safety papers”

So to tell people about the safety papers say:

“go to http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/”

or Google GMO Pundit

look at the sidebar on the right, and just click the 200 plus GM food safety papers button

Best regards
David Tribe Ph.D.
Melbourne
——————————–

Jennifer has just had a look at:

Exhibit 3.

Citation list of papers that test GM food safety in animal tests or directly and systematically measure safety parameters such as allergenicity or potential toxin fingerprinting:

Aeschbacher, K., L. Meile, R. Messikommer and C. Wenk. (2002) Influence of genetically modified maize on performance and product quality of chickens. Proc. Soc. Nutr. Physiol. 11:196.

Aeschbacher K, Messikommer R, Meile L, Wenk C (2005) Bt176 corn in poultry nutrition: Physiological characteristics and fate of recombinant plant DNA in chickens. Poultry Science 84:385-394

Appenzeller LM, Munley SM, Hoban D, Sykes GP, Malley LA, Delaney B.(2008) Subchronic feeding study of herbicide-tolerant soybean DP-356Ø43-5 in Sprague-Dawley rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Jun;46(6):2201-13.

Ash, J., C. Novak, and S.E. Scheideler. (2003) The fate of genetically modified protein from Roundup Ready soybeans in laying hens. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 12:242:245.

Alexander TW, Sharma R, Deng MY, Whetsell AJ, Jennings JC, Wang YX, Okine E, Damgaard D, McAllister TA (2004) Use of quantitative real-time and conventional PCR to assess the stability of the cp4 epsps transgene from Roundup Ready (R) canola in the intestinal, ruminal, and fecal contents of sheep. Journal of Biotechnology 112:255-266

Ash J, Novak C, Scheideler SE (2003) The fate of genetically modified protein from Roundup Ready Soybeans in laying hens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 12:242-245

Atkinson, H.J., Johnston, K.A., Robbins, M.,( 2004). Prima facie evidence that a phytocystatin for transgenic plant resistance to nematodes is not a toxic risk in the human diet. J. Nutr. 134, 431–434.

Aulrich K, Bohme H, Daenicke R, Halle I, Flachowsky G (2001) Genetically modified feeds in animal nutrition 1st communication: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn in poultry, pig and ruminant nutrition. Archives of Animal Nutrition-Archiv fur Tierernahrung 54:183-195

Bakan B, Melcion D, Richard-Molard D and Cahagnier B (2002) Fungal growth and Fusarium mycotoxin content in isogenic traditional maize and genetically modified maize grown in France and Spain. J Agric Food Chem 50(4): 728–731.

Baker, J M, Hawkins, N D, Ward, J L, Lovegrove, A, Napier,J A, Shewry, P R and Beale, M H.(2006) A metabolomic study of substantial equivalence of field-grown genetically modified wheat. Plant Biotechnology Journal Volume 4 Issue 4 Page 381 – July 2006 doi:10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00197.x

Barriere Y, Verite R, Brunschwig P, Surault F, Emile JC (2001) Feeding value of corn silage estimated with sheep and dairy cows is not altered by genetic incorporation of Bt176 resistance to Ostrinia nubilalis. Journal of Dairy Science 84:1863-1871

Batista, R. Nelson Saibo, Tiago Lourenço, and Maria Margarida Oliveira (2008) Microarray analyses reveal that plant mutagenesis may induce more transcriptomic changes than transgene insertion PNAS | March 4, 2008 | vol. 105 | no. 9 | 3640-3645

Baudo, M M, Lyons, Powers, S R, Pastori,G M, Edwards, K J, Holdsworth, M J, and Shewry, P R. (2006) Transgenesis has less impact on the transcriptome of wheat grain than conventional breeding Plant Biotechnology Journal Volume 4 Issue 4 Page 369 – July 2006 doi:10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00193.x

Barriere, Y., R. Verite, P. Brunschwig, F. Surault, and J.C. Emile. (2001). The feeding value of silage maize estimated with sheep and dairy cows is not affected by genetic incorporation of the Bt 176 resistance to Ostrinia nubilalis. J. Dairy Sci. 84:1863-1871.

Benedict J, Fromme D, Cosper J, Correa C, Odvody G and Parker R (1998) Efficacy of Bt Corn Events MON810, Bt11 and E176 in Controlling Corn Earworm, Fall Armyworm, Sugarcane Borer and Aflatoxin. Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX .

Berberich, SA Ream, J.E., Jackson, T.L., Wood, R., Stipanovic, R., Harvey, P., Patzer, S., and Fuchs, R.L. (1996) The composition of insect-protected cottonseed is equivalent to that of conventional cottonseed. J. Agric. Food Chem. 44, 365–371.

Betz F S, Hammond B G , Fuchs R L (2000) Safety and advantages of Bacillus thuringiensis-protected plants to control insect pests. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 32, Issue 2, 156-173

Bohme H, Aulrich K, Daenicke R, Flachowsky G (2001) Genetically modified feeds in animal nutrition 2nd communication: Glufosinate tolerant sugar beets (roots and silage) and maize grains for ruminants and pigs. Archives of Animal Nutrition-Archiv fur Tierernahrung 54:197-207

Bondzio, A., Stumpff, F., Schoen, J., Martens, H., Einspanier, R., (2008) Impact of Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin Cry1Ab on rumen epithelial cells (REC) – a new in vitro model for safety assessment of recombinant food compounds, Food and Chemical Toxicology (2008), doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2008.01.038

Brake DG, Thaler R, Evenson DP (2004) Evaluation of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn on mouse testicular development by dual parameter flow cytometry. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52:2097-2102.

Brake, D.G., Evenson, D.P., 2004. A generational study of glyphosatetolerant soybeans on mouse fetal, postnatal, pubertal and adult testicular development. Food Chem. Toxicol. 42, 29–36.

Brake J, Faust MA, Stein J (2003) Evaluation of transgenic event Bt11 hybrid corn in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 82:551-559

Brake J, Faust M, Stein J (2005) Evaluation of transgenic hybrid corn (VIP3A) in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 84:503-512

Brake J, Vlachos D (1998) Evaluation of transgenic event 176 “Bt” corn in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 77:648-653.

Broll H, Zagon J, Butschke A, Leffke A, Spiegelberg A, Bohme H, Flachowsky G (2005) The fate of DNA of transgenic inulin synthesizing potatoes in pigs. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 14:337-340

Brown PB, Wilson KA, Jonker Y, Nickson TE. (2003) Glyphosate tolerant canola meal is equivalent to the parental line in diets fed to rainbow trout. J Agric Food Chem. 51:4268-72.

Bub A, Möseneder J, Wenzel G, Rechkemmer G, Briviba K. (2008) Zeaxanthin is bioavailable from genetically modified zeaxanthin-rich potatoes.Eur J Nutr. 2008 Mar;47(2):99-103. Epub 2008 Mar 4.

And we are only up to ‘B’. Who said there hadn’t been a lot of testing of genetically modified foods?

Real Food Shortage Will Require Real Science and Technology?

By

The British government is preparing to open the way for genetically modified crops on the grounds they could help combat the global food crisis.

At least that’s according to Andrew Grice, Policitical Editor with The Independent, reporting on a meeting between Britian’s Environment minister, Phil Woolas, and the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, amidst claims that “rocketing food prices and food shortages in the world’s poorest countries mean the time is right to relax Britain’s policy on use of GM crops.”

As Graham Young, Chief Editor of e-journal On Line Opinion, recently emailed me, “With food shortages becoming the new Greenhouse type issue, I think that all is set to change. Governments will be throwing money at scientists who say they can feed the world, and it will become a new glamour industry… it is perhaps ironic that hard science, rather than computer modeling, might come back into vogue now that we have a real, rather than potential, problem.”