This is a coincidence.I just posted about Dr. Irina Ermakova's study from 2005 describing fertility problems in mice fed genetically modified (GM) soy. This morning I read anti-GMO crusader Jeffrey Smith's blog about recent problems in hamsters fed GM soy. The same issues emerged - reduced fertility, increased mortality of offspring, worsening of problems in succeeding generations, and an unusual phenomenon - hairy gums (see photo).
Genetically Modified Soy Linked To Sterility, Infant Mortality In Hamsters, Jeffrey Smith, April 20, 2010
Five years later and we're still finding the same problems in test animals and livestock. Maybe it's the GM corn or soy. Maybe it's the pesticides on these crops. (Since GM crops are designed to resist pesticides, more pesticides are applied, even when they don't need to be, well, except now with resistant weeds...) But we continue to plant and eat genetically engineered crops. We continue to feed them to our food animals. We continue to dismiss these findings.
Jeffrey Smith says:
"Without detailed tests, no one can pinpoint exactly what is causing the reproductive travesties in Russian hamsters and rats, Italian and Austrian mice, and livestock in India and America. And we can only speculate about the relationship between the introduction of genetically modified foods in 1996, and the corresponding upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems among the US population. But many scientists, physicians, and concerned citizens don't think that the public should remain the lab animals for the biotech industry's massive uncontrolled experiment."The FDA (led by recently installed former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor) and the USDA continue to claim that there is no difference between GMOs and their non-genetically engineered counterparts.1
If they have information that refutes these studies, why not make it public? It would make a lot of us feel more comfortable, especially with their recent efforts to prevent labeling of genetically engineered food (as well as labels designating a food does not contain GMOs.)
3 comments:
I think making the studies go public is a big deal and we should push more for that. People need to understand the motives behind the answers.
We place so much faith in these big companies, in the people who make our food. All the genetically engineered soy milk, tofu, soy veggie burgers, soy yogurt, soy nuts, soy protein powder so many of us eat every day. All that faith. Maybe our faith is well placed. I don't know.
Well placed and mis-informed. That's why we have advocates, right? :) Now if they just step to the front-lines a bit more, we'll be all good :)
Post a Comment