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  • Obama gives key agriculture post to Big Agri/Chem lobbyist

    Gary Ruskin |  Green Change03.27.2010

    Today, President Obama announced that he will recess appoint Islam A. Siddiqui to the position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

    Siddiqui is a pesticide lobbyist and Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, an agribusiness lobbying group that represents Monsanto.

    Following is a letter sent by 98 organizations to U.S. Senators in opposition to Siddiqui’s appointment, and a fact sheet about him.

    read more

  • Consumers of aspartame (Nutra-Sweet): check out this documentary

    Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World

  • Study demonstrates the toxicity of three GM corn varieties from Monsanto

    Three GM corn varieties were shown to be toxic to rat kidney and liver. Other effects were observed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system.

    “We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn”

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    A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726.

    Available from http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm | PDF
    ©Ivyspring International Publisher

    Joël Spiroux de Vendômois1, François Roullier1, Dominique Cellier1,2, Gilles-Eric Séralini1,3

    1. CRIIGEN, 40 rue Monceau, 75008 Paris, France
    2. University of Rouen LITIS EA 4108, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
    3. University of Caen, Institute of Biology, Risk Pole CNRS, EA 2608, 14032 Caen, France

    Abstract

    We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world. NK 603 has been modified to be tolerant to the broad spectrum herbicide Roundup and thus contains residues of this formulation. MON 810 and MON 863 are engineered to synthesize two different Bt toxins used as insecticides. Approximately 60 different biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and 14 weeks of feeding. GM maize-fed rats were compared first to their respective isogenic or parental non-GM equivalent control groups. This was followed by comparison to six reference groups, which had consumed various other non-GM maize varieties. We applied nonparametric methods, including multiple pairwise comparisons with a False Discovery Rate approach. Principal Component Analysis allowed the investigation of scattering of different factors (sex, weeks of feeding, diet, dose and group). Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.