Reports in the media this week make worrying reading, and makes an even better case for choosing organic, non-GM meat, eggs and milk.
A landmark study by independent doctors at the Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, Canada found 93% of blood samples taken from pregnant women, 80% from umbilical cords and 69% of a non-pregnant sample group tested positive for traces of toxins implanted into GM food crops to kill crop pests. The researchers concluded that the toxin was “clearly detectable and appears to cross the placenta to the foetus.”
Millions of acres in North and South America are planted with GM corn and other crops containing the toxins, which is fed in vast quantities to farm livestock around the world – including the UK. There is speculation it could lead to allergies, miscarriage, abnormalities and cancer.
Of note is that in getting permission to use such techniques, the industry always argued that if these toxins were eaten by animals or humans they would be destroyed in the gut. And food safety authorities in the UK and Europe bought into these assurances.
However, it now appears the proteins can survive the digestive system and pass into the bloodstream. They are thought to be getting into the body as a result of eating meat, milk and eggs from farm livestock fed GM corn.
Not surprisingly, there have been calls for a ban on imports and a total overhaul of the safety regime for GM. Most of the research used to demonstrate GM safety has been funded by the industry itself. The ‘GM Freeze’ group called for safeguard clauses in the regulations to be used to prevent any further GM Bt crops being cultivated or imported for animal feed or food until the health implications are fully evaluated.
Published in Reproductive Toxicology. See The Telegraph’s report below too.
Related articles
- Toxic pesticides from GM food crops found in unborn babies (telegraph.co.uk)