Glufosinate ammonium aka Liberty is the herbicide that Aventis GE herbicide resistant crops are engineered to be resistant to.
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Open letter to Dr Paul Rylott, Seed Manager, Aventis UK E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
From : Marcus Williamson

Dr Rylott

During your presentation in Shinfield you indicated that glufosinate ammonium was safe and was an everyday garden chemical.  However, given the results below, I would not wish glufosinate ammonium to be used in food, would you?

Another question if I may: Why is Aventis trying to prevent UK citizens having access to data about the health and environmental impact of its products? Consumers these days demand openness, so taking the UK government to court over this matter looks like you have something to hide.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/

Neurosci Lett 2001 May 18;304(1-2):123-125

Glufosinate ammonium induces convulsion through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in mice.

Matsumura N, Takeuchi C, Hishikawa K, Fujii T, Nakaki T. Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, 173-8605, Tokyo, Japan.

Glufosinate ammonium, a broad-spectrum herbicide, causes convulsion in rodents and humans. Because of the structural similarities between glufosinate and glutamate, the convulsion induced by glufosinate ammonium may be ascribed to glutamate receptor activation. Three N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, dizocilpine, LY235959, and Compound 40, and an alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate receptor antagonist, NBQX, were coadministrated with glufosinate ammonium (80 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) in mice. Statistical analyses showed that the NMDA receptor antagonists markedly inhibited the convulsions, while the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist had no effect on the convulsion. These results suggest that the convulsion caused by glufosinate ammonium is mediated through NMDA receptors.