GM toxicity: We are all Guinea Pigs now!
CRIIGEN PRESS RELEASE 19/9/12
We are all Guinea Pigs now!
Severe toxic effects of a GMO and the world's most used herbicide.
For the first time, the health impact of a GMO and a widely used pesticide have been comprehensively assessed * in a long term animal feeding trial of greater duration and with more detailed analyses than any previous studies, by environmental and food agencies, governments, industries or researchers institutes.
The two tested products are in very common use : (i) a transgenic maize made tolerant to Roundup, the characteristic shared by over 80% of food and animal feed GMOs, and (ii) Roundup itself, the most widely used herbicide on the planet. The regulatory approval process requires these products to be tested on rats as a surrogate for humans.
The new research took the form of a two year feeding trial on 200 rats, monitored for outcomes against more than 100 parameters. The doses were consistent with typical dietary/ environmental exposure (from 11% GMO in the diet, and 0.1 ppb in water).
The results, which are of serious concern, included increased and more rapid mortality, coupled with hormonal non linear and sex related effects. Females developed significant and numerous mammary tumours, pituitary and kidney problems. Males died mostly from severe hepatorenal chronic deficiencies. Professor Seralini's team in the University of Caen is publishing this detailed study in one of the leading scientific international peer-reviewed journals of food toxicology, on line on Sept. 19, 2012.
The implications are extremely serious. They demonstrate the toxicity, both of a GMO with the most widely spread transgenic character and of the most widely used herbicide, even when ingested at extremely low levels, (corresponding to those found in surface or tap water). In addition, these results call into question the adequacy of the current regulatory process, used throughout the world by agencies involved in the assessment of health, food and chemicals, and industries seeking commercialisation of products
In view of these findings, the researchers consider that market authorisations for these products should be immediately reviewed. The 90 day test duration should be extended to 2 years for agricultural GMOs. In addition, all pesticides should be tested in their formulations (not the active principle alone) for 2 years, including at very low levels. Furthermore, in future the regulatory testing process for biotech and pesticide products should be transparent, open to public scrutiny, subject to independent review and performed independently of their firms in the future.
In the meantime, labelling of all GMOs in the feed/food should be mandatory, including livestock products from animals that have been fed GMO's. Finally, the nature of all compounds present in pesticide formulations should be made public.
*”Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize”. Food and Chemical Toxicology, Séralini G.E. et al. 2012.
The results of these experiments, the story and its implications have been explained in a book « Tous Cobayes ! » by Gilles-Eric Séralini, published on Sept. 26 by Flammarion. Simultaneously, a film adapted from this book “All guinea pigs ?” by Jean-Paul Jaud will be launched. A TV documentary “GMO, a World Alert ?” by François Le Bayon will be shown. The legal and social impact has been written « La vérité sur les OGM c’est notre affaire » by Corinne Lepage from the European Parliament, published by Charles Léopold Mayer.
For more details see www.criigen.org; contact criigen@unicaen.fr, +33 (0)2 31 56 56 84
Contact Laurent Payet Press Agent, Professor Gilles-Eric Séralini
Phone: +33 6 89 95 48 87
Email: Laurent@lp-conseils.com