Of Course Monsanto Says It’s Safe

[marmar]

Published on Monday, October 22, 2012 by Food & Water Watch Blog
Of Course Monsanto Says It’s Safe

by Tim Schwab


If you’ve been paying attention to the news about food lately, you’ve probably read about the now infamous “Seralini study,” in which University of Caen (France) molecular biologist Gilles-Eric Seralini demonstrated major health issues associated with eating Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) corn and the herbicide used in conjunction with it, RoundUp.

Widely covered by the media, most reports have tried to portray Seralini as a strident, ideologically driven researcher who willfully designed a study to produce a result showing that GE food is bad. Many science journalists criticized Seralini for having an anti-GE bias, for taking research money from a foundation that is anti-GE, and for not disclosing every piece of data to the public.

But this attack coverage seems grossly disproportionate given the realities around funding and bias in agricultural research. Science journalists seldom, if ever, cover the opposite angle: that industry has funded much of the scientific literature we have about the safety of GE foods. These industry-funded studies aren’t science as much as they are public relations, always concluding that GE is safe and good. And in our broken regulatory system for these controversial new foods, these industry studies are also what regulators use to approve new genetically engineered crops for our food supply.

Indeed, the strain of corn that Seralini studied, NK603, has been shown in the scientific literature to be safe—in studies done by Monsanto. The company has produced at least seven studies about NK603 – all of them positive – in four peer-reviewed journals. More shocking, at least three of these peer-reviewed journals openly advertise their corporate sponsors from the food industry, like Archer Daniel Midlands and Pioneer. One of these, the Journal of Animal Science is run by the American Society of Animal Science, which counts biotech companies BASF and Monsanto, as gold and silver sponsors. Most of the Monsanto studies include co-authors from public universities, whose names add credibility. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/10/22-2

[RC]

1. How can eating herbicides and pesticides be good for anyone?

That is what is going on with these GM crops that make their own.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. Yes, either pesticides or petroleum

From what I have been reading lately (White Bread-a Social History), most all wheat produced here or elsewhere, is modified so greatly that it only produces if a huge amount of petroleum-based fertilizer is put on it.


Our food system is compromised, IMO.

[Berlum]

3. Meanwhile, early onset of puberty, and chronic diseases are skyrocketing

No wonder the American Academy of Environmental Medicine warns about consuming GMO foods.

Hard advice to follow since GMO corporations have emulated Republican darkside principles of occultism to keep such novel foodlike substances unlabeled, and thus hidden from public knowledge.

%20genetically%20modified%20foods%20-%20and%20it's%20not%20pretty

[Bragi]

4. Sorry, but the Seralini study would appear to be flawed, biased crap

That seems to be the scientific consensus.

See:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/09/are_gmo_foods_safe_opponents_are_skewing_the_science_to_scare_people_.html

http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/pages/press_releases/12-09-19_gm_maize_rats_tumours.htm

etc. etc.

I understand that critics of this study will all be condemned by anti-GM campaigners as food industry shills, but they aren't all shills, and I'm not buying into this study right now because I think its critics make a better case than its defenders. The spinful manner of its release was also questionable.

(As for my bias, I am a non-scientist concerned about GM food from an environmental perspective, but I think the alleged health risks of GM food are a best unproven, and arguably non-existent. This study doesn't change my view on that.)

- B

[bvar22]

5. Our regulatory agencies are OWNED by Monsanto.

Google: "Tom Vilsack ties to Monsanto"
(Tom Vilsack currently runs the US Department of Agriculture)

Google: "Michael Taylor & Monsanto"
(Michael Taylor was appointed to run the FDA)



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
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