Monsanto's GM corn MON863 shows kidney, liver toxicity in
animal studies News Target
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 by: David Gutierrez
A variety of genetically modified corn that was approved for human
consumption in 2006 caused signs of liver and kidney toxicity as well as
hormonal changes in rats in a study performed by researchers from the
independent Committee for Independent Research and Genetic Engineering at the
University of Caen in France.
• The corn in question, MON863, is made by the
Monsanto Company and
approved for use in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico,
the Philippines, and the United States. It has had a gene inserted from the
bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which causes the plant's cells to
produce a pesticide.
• Researchers fed rats either unmodified
corn or diets containing 11 or
30 percent MON863 for 90 days. The rats who ate modified corn were found to
exhibit signs of liver and kidney
toxicity, as well as signs
of hormonal changes.
• Male rats lost an average of 3.3 percent of their
body weight, and their
excretion of phosphorus and sodium decreased. Female rats gained an average of
3.7 percent of their body weight, while their triglyceride levels increased by
24 to 40 percent.
• The mechanism that causes the toxicity is not yet known, but the researchers
say there is evidence that the Bt toxin may cause the perforation of blood
cells. They expressed concern that the methods used by Monsanto in initial tests
of the corn were statistically flawed and called their own tests "the best
mammalian toxicity tests available."
• Greenpeace responded to the study by calling for an immediate recall of all
MON863 corn and the reassessment of all
genetically
modified foods currently approved for the market.
• Quote: "Our counter-evaluation shows that there are signs of toxicity, and
nobody can say scientifically and seriously the consumption of the transgenic
maize MON863 is safe and good for health." - Lead Author Gilles Eric Seralini
• It seems that the more these
GM foods are tested, the more frightening the implications seem to be for
human health. When companies like Monsanto do their own in-house testing,
results are mysteriously favorable in nearly all cases, but when independent
labs run their own tests, the results are downright shocking.
• I find it interesting that the FDA believes U.S. consumers should not be
allowed to know which foods are genetically modified and which aren't. The push
for honest labeling of GM
foods has been blockaded by corporate interests and corrupt federal regulators.
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