Genetically Modified corn causes organ damage in rats

[Underseer]

http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

I'm not a biologist, so I'll let the people on this board who are evaluate the methodologies of this study. Assuming the methods are good, then it looks like the agricultural/food industry has been feeding us some serious lies of late, which should come as no surprise to anyone.

[Loren Pechtel]

While I have nothing against genetic modification in general the pest resistance is another matter--how is it different to make the plant make a pest toxin and to spray pesticide? The former might be cheaper but the consumer can't wash off the pesticide.

[DBT]

[quote=""Underseer""]http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

I'm not a biologist, so I'll let the people on this board who are evaluate the methodologies of this study. Assuming the methods are good, then it looks like the agricultural/food industry has been feeding us some serious lies of late, which should come as no surprise to anyone.[/quote]

I get the impression that big business sometimes tends to push products into the market before they are thoroughly tested...

[Zeluvia]

The first observation that we were able to make was that there is a good general concordance between our data and the results of Monsanto as presented in their original confidential reports, in particular on the proportion of statistically significant observations. However, the methodology we employed revealed different effects, which completely changed the interpretation of the experimental results. For instance, the sex differences are fully taken into account in our study, which contrasts with the first published comments of these data [18, 26, 27]. We evaluated and took note of differences in the reaction of male and female rats to the GM maize test diets based on accepted and now classical knowledge of endocrinology [28], embryology [29, 30], physiology [31, 32], enzymology or hepatology [33] demonstrating sex-specific physio-pathological effects. Indeed, our present results fully confirmed the sex-specific distribution of effects on kidney and liver parameters for all rats in all three studies analyzed here. An identical effect in both sexes would have been exceptional, like with strong or acute toxicity

I like this paragraph. Google Monsanto.

And I have to wonder if High Fructose Corn Syrup is also affected, since that is a major use/source of corn in our diet.

Not that I ever consume it...

[bleubird]

http://www.pepsithrowbackhub.com/

What is this about?

[KnightWhoSaysNi]

This is quite relevant to another article published by Don Lotter, an agroecology scientist, last year:

(Int. Jrnl. of Soc. of Agr. & Food, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 50–68)

The Genetic Engineering of Food and the Failure of Science – Part 2: Academic Capitalism and the Loss of Scientific Integrity

Abstract:

Factors in the failure of the scientific community to properly oversee agricultural transgenics are presented. The large-scale restructuring of university science programs in the past 25 years from a model based on non-proprietary science for the ‘public good’ to the ‘academic capitalism’ model based on the ‘knowledge economy’ is discussed in the context of the failure of the science community to oversee the transition of transgenic crop technology from the research stage to commercialization. Discussed are increasing science community and university dependence on private industry funding and on development of proprietary technologies; monopolization of the make-up of expert scientific bodies on transgenics by pro-industry scientists with vested interests in transgenics; deficient scientific protocols, bias, and possible fraud in industry-sponsored and industry-conducted research; increasing politically and commercially driven manipulation of science within federal regulatory bodies such as the FDA; and bias in the peer-review process, tolerance by the scientific community of biotechnology industry manipulation of the information environment, and of biased treatment and harassment of non-compliant scientists. Discussed are future food production strategies for developing countries, recently framed in the 2008 UNsponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology, an action plan that emphasizes non-proprietary, agroecology-based approaches to food production and does not include crop transgenics as a central strategy. The under-funding of non-proprietary agroecological approaches to food production is discussed.