1. Maternal Blood Tests Cause for Rethink on GE Science Advice
2. Unborn NZ Children Exposed To Genetically Engineered Toxin
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1. Maternal Blood Tests Cause for Rethink on GE Science Advice
GE Free NZ press release, 24 May 2011

Scientists advising the government must urgently report on the implications of new research showing metabolites from herbicides and insecticides in GE plants are making it through digestion into the bloodstream of mothers and into fetal blood.  

The article "Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated with GE foods" by Aris and LeBlanc [1], published in the Reproductive Toxicology Journal on women and their babies, detected that 100% of babies contained herbicide metabolites and 93% of babies carried the insecticide Cry toxin from GE .
 
The findings demand a rethink of all  GE foods (soy, corn, canola and cottonseed) that Authorities have already approved into New Zealand and Australia.  
 
Professor Peter Gluckman  and colleagues published epigenetic research [2] on the effects of maternal diet on fetal and infant development shows the complex consequences of maternal diet on long-term health into adulthood.    
 
Gluckman et al research and Aris et al GM food research indicate officials must urgently rethink the flawed approach to GE food safety assessments that are not factored in for regulation.
 
"New Zealand scientists are working at the cutting edge of epigenetics and diet. We are seeing mounting scientific evidence that challenges the safety of GM foods. It is apparent that approval has been given without a proper understanding of how GM foods are different from conventional foods," says Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE-Free NZ (in food and environment). 

The findings of the Canadian research are also a further warning to manufacturers that official approval is no basis for assuming GE goods are safe. The findings support the importance of a GM-free policy in sourcing ingredients and formulating products.
 
 "There have been repeated warnings of the conflict of interest for Food Standards agencies between consumer protection and promoting industry trade.  This has blinkered them from looking at the deleterious effects of GE saying it is the responsibility of food companies to stay away from ingredients that may harm their consumers." says Claire Bleakley, president of GE-Free NZ.
 
Infant formula manufacturers are saying GE contamination in infant formula is out of control. [3] It is vital to maintain choice and integrity of the supply of GE-Free infant foods. [4]
 
"It is still best for mothers to breast feed however, if this is not possible we suggest that they stay away from all infant formulas unless organic or guaranteed GE-Free"  said Mrs. Bleakley
 
"In light of the unknown effects of GE on our health, it is pleasing that Organic and many New Zealand companies are fully supporting consumer choice by guaranteeing their foods as being GE Free."
 
New Zealand is still GE-Free in its food farming and has a large certified Organic sector that does not allow GE into its production system.  So buying foods that are grown and processed in New Zealand and do not contain imported ingredients like soy, corn will guarantee consumers the choice of a GE free food source.
 
"These findings show that the presumptions of safety were not made on scientific grounds and there fore pose an unknown threat to the most vulnerable, our children.  If our Government is truly scientific its advisors must re-assess GM food approvals throughout the entire food chain in light of the evidence that GE DNA can persist in the blood stream and we have no idea what deleterious effects this could cause." says Claire Bleakley.
 
References:
 
1.  Aris A, Leblanc S. Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Reprod Toxicol (2011), doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2011.02.004
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21338670
 
2. Gluckman P., Hanson M., Cooper C. and Thornburg K., (2008) Effect of In -Utero and Early life conditions on Adult Health and disease.  http://www.pinniped.net/gluckman2008.pdf  
 
3. Food Producers in Australia admit GM free is impossible http://www.foodnews.co.nz/20188/food-producers-operating-in-australia-admit-gm-free-is-impossible/

3.  Which baby foods contain genetically engineered ingredients?  http://todayyesterdayandtomorrow.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/baby-food-2/  
 
[4] Bellamy's Organic Infant Formula from birth to toddler. http://www.bellamysorganic.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=1
 
[4] Baby Nat organic formula
http://www.naturebaby.co.nz/babynat-organic-follow-formula-p-254.html
 
[4] Nutricia Baby Formula's www.nutricia.co.nz <http://www.nutricia.co.nz/>  
 
ENDS
Jon Carapiet 021 0507681
Claire Bleakley 06 3089842 / 027 348 6731
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2. Unborn NZ Children Exposed To Genetically Engineered Toxin
Soil & Health Association of New Zealand
(Est. 1941)
Publishers of ORGANIC NZ
24 May 2011

New research from Canada has shown that blood in pregnant women and foetuses carried toxins from genetically engineered (GE) foods, that are also allowed into New Zealand, according to the Soil & Health Association.(1)

Bt toxin Cry1 based insecticides are genetically engineered (GE) into several GE food crops (GE maize, soy, potato and cotton), which are increasingly imported and used in New Zealand processed foods. Thirty two different GE insect resistant food lines are permitted for use in New Zealand foods by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (FSANZ).(2)

"The finding that GE toxins and also herbicide residues are being absorbed into consumers and unborn babies blood, shows that organic and GE-free foods should be first choice for families and especially pregnant women," said Soil & Health - Organic spokesperson Steffan Browning.

"Foods from GE insect and herbicide resistant crops, that carry insecticidal properties and grown with regular dowsing with herbicides, have never been declined by FSANZ, from being approved for Australian and New Zealand consumers use."

"Labelling of products containing toxic GE foods is woefully inadequate and there are very few foods able to be correctly identified in food stores, although GE material is now in very many processed food items."

"It does not need to be this way and Government could quickly correct the situation, by placing a moratorium on new GE food applications, reassessing or withdrawing the approximately seventy GE food lines approved for use in the New Zealand food supply."

"Animal GE feeding studies have shown to be inadequate but still presenting disturbing health effects, including failure to thrive, organ damage and reproductive failure, yet FSANZ has continued to lack precaution in its GE food approval process." (3,4)

"Approved in 2000, Monsanto's Mon 810 corn became one of the most common GE crops produced, and the Cry1Ab insecticide engineered into it and found in mothers and foetal blood in the Canadian research, was described in the Approval evaluation as, 'equally unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to human cells via the digestive tract.' This has been found to be incorrect, and all GE foods approved must now be reassessed or withdrawn," said Mr Browning. (5)

"Herbicides such as glyphosate and glufosinate, used on herbicide resistant GE crops, are also increasingly being shown to cause birth and developmental changes. Organic production does not use herbicides on crops." (6)

"GE foods are unnecessary, and are unsustainable in production, damaging biodiversity, soil biology, soil structure, and pollute neighbouring environments. Now evidence shows that the GE toxins and herbicides used on them are polluting generations of people."

Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020 that disallows genetic engineering in the food and environment of Aotearoa New Zealand.

References:

(1)   
http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/13047-bt-toxin-found-in-blood-of-pregnant-women-and-fetuses
http://somloquesembrem.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/arisleblanc2011.pdf

(2)   
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/gmfoods/gmcurrentapplication1030.cfm

(3)    http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10/    Seralini et al have conducted studies showing organ damage in rats fed GE food. The latest report is using the material including industry funded studies and shows the food safety authority is not adequately testing GE foods. Extract from latest French report (2): The 90-day-long tests are insufficient to evaluate chronic toxicity, and the signs highlighted in the kidneys and livers could be the onset of chronic diseases. However, no minimal length for the tests is yet obligatory for any of the GMOs cultivated on a large scale, and this is socially unacceptable in terms of consumer health protection. We are suggesting that the studies should be improved and prolonged, as well as being made compulsory, and that the sexual hormones should be assessed too, and moreover, reproductive and multigenerational studies ought to be conducted too.

(4)    de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726. http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

(5)    Page 56
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Application%20A346%20Draft%20IR..pdf        
   "...It is extremely unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to bacteria in the human digestive tract because of the number of complex and unlikely steps that would need to take place consecutively. It is equally unlikely that novel genetic material will transfer from GM foods to human cells via the digestive tract..."

(6)    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9178451   

(7)    http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx1001749

CONTACT

The Soil & Health Association of NZ - Organic NZ
Spokesperson
Steffan Browning
021 725655  
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