Kuko 4000
27th May 2009, 07:24 AM
Ok, my understanding is that the technology behind gm foods is well known, tightly controlled and considered safe when used in a commercial product. And that the problems surrounding the area are political rather than scientific. Today I bumped into a Finnish anti-gmo propaganda site and had a brief online discussion with a prominent Finnish anti-gmo person. This lead me to Jeffrey M. Smith, who is a major anti-gmo spokesman. Has anyone here studied his claims in more detail?
Here's the profile of Jeffrey:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/MediaCenter/BioJeffreyMSmith/index.cfm
Recent Coast to Coast appearance, April 23rd, 2009:
KRFJwPrEppc
He and his new book Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods is listed in Wikipedia as a source for
this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food#Health_Risks
Genetically modified food
Health Risks:
Gene transfer
As of January 2009 there has only been one human feeding study conducted on genetically modified foods. The study involved seven human volunteers who had their large intestines removed. These volunteers were to eat GM soy to see if the DNA of the GM soy transferred to the human gut bacteria. Researchers identified that three of the seven volunteers had transgenes from GM soy transferred into their gut bacteria, though none of the gene transfers occurred during the course of the study. In volunteers with complete digestive tracts, no recombinant DNA was found.[53]
"This transgene was stable inside the bacteria and appeared to produce herbicide-tolerant protein... In the only human feeding study ever conducted on GM crops, long standing assumptions that genes would not transfer to human gut bacteria were overturned. The findings should prompt immediate comprehensive follow-up tests to determine the implications for health among both the general population and at-risk groups."[54]
The study can be found here:
http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v22/n2/abs/nbt934.html
The inclusion of genetically modified (GM) plants in the human diet has raised concerns about the possible transfer of transgenes from GM plants to intestinal microflora and enterocytes. The persistence in the human gut of DNA from dietary GM plants is unknown. Here we study the survival of the transgene epsps from GM soya in the small intestine of human ileostomists (i.e., individuals in which the terminal ileum is resected and digesta are diverted from the body via a stoma to a colostomy bag). The amount of transgene that survived passage through the small bowel varied among individuals, with a maximum of 3.7% recovered at the stoma of one individual. The transgene did not survive passage through the intact gastrointestinal tract of human subjects fed GM soya. Three of seven ileostomists showed evidence of low-frequency gene transfer from GM soya to the microflora of the small bowel before their involvement in these experiments. As this low level of epsps in the intestinal microflora did not increase after consumption of the meal containing GM soya, we conclude that gene transfer did not occur during the feeding experiment.
The part I coloured seems to contradict Jeffrey's claim. I must stress that I didn't understand half of what I read, so I'm turning over to you folks here to set me (or Wiki) straight. And maybe even clear the overall issue a bit for me.
I only listened the first two parts of the Coast to Coast YouTube clips, but even the first part contained so many big claims, that I would like to know more about the validity of the points he usually makes before using more of my time and energy on this. Once again, all help much appreciated!
Here's the profile of Jeffrey:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/MediaCenter/BioJeffreyMSmith/index.cfm
Recent Coast to Coast appearance, April 23rd, 2009:
KRFJwPrEppc
He and his new book Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods is listed in Wikipedia as a source for
this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food#Health_Risks
Genetically modified food
Health Risks:
Gene transfer
As of January 2009 there has only been one human feeding study conducted on genetically modified foods. The study involved seven human volunteers who had their large intestines removed. These volunteers were to eat GM soy to see if the DNA of the GM soy transferred to the human gut bacteria. Researchers identified that three of the seven volunteers had transgenes from GM soy transferred into their gut bacteria, though none of the gene transfers occurred during the course of the study. In volunteers with complete digestive tracts, no recombinant DNA was found.[53]
"This transgene was stable inside the bacteria and appeared to produce herbicide-tolerant protein... In the only human feeding study ever conducted on GM crops, long standing assumptions that genes would not transfer to human gut bacteria were overturned. The findings should prompt immediate comprehensive follow-up tests to determine the implications for health among both the general population and at-risk groups."[54]
The study can be found here:
http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v22/n2/abs/nbt934.html
The inclusion of genetically modified (GM) plants in the human diet has raised concerns about the possible transfer of transgenes from GM plants to intestinal microflora and enterocytes. The persistence in the human gut of DNA from dietary GM plants is unknown. Here we study the survival of the transgene epsps from GM soya in the small intestine of human ileostomists (i.e., individuals in which the terminal ileum is resected and digesta are diverted from the body via a stoma to a colostomy bag). The amount of transgene that survived passage through the small bowel varied among individuals, with a maximum of 3.7% recovered at the stoma of one individual. The transgene did not survive passage through the intact gastrointestinal tract of human subjects fed GM soya. Three of seven ileostomists showed evidence of low-frequency gene transfer from GM soya to the microflora of the small bowel before their involvement in these experiments. As this low level of epsps in the intestinal microflora did not increase after consumption of the meal containing GM soya, we conclude that gene transfer did not occur during the feeding experiment.
The part I coloured seems to contradict Jeffrey's claim. I must stress that I didn't understand half of what I read, so I'm turning over to you folks here to set me (or Wiki) straight. And maybe even clear the overall issue a bit for me.
I only listened the first two parts of the Coast to Coast YouTube clips, but even the first part contained so many big claims, that I would like to know more about the validity of the points he usually makes before using more of my time and energy on this. Once again, all help much appreciated!