Food Authorities Playing Russian Roulette (GE-Free NZ Press Release)

The refusal of the trans-Tasman Food Standards Australia New Zealand Authority (FSANZ) to reassess the risks of three GE corn varieties found to cause harm is the result of bias and personal agendas rather than sound science.

Following publication of data showing 3 GM maize varieties approved by FSANZ have been found to have toxic effects in animal tests, FSANZ prefer to shoot the messenger, rather than look at the science (1) .

FSANZ are required to use scientific reasoning to approve GM foods, but by ignoring scientific evidence they are playing a dangerous game of Russion Roulette, with public health as the stakes.

In safety assessment and approval of GM foods FSANZ have relied on industry assessment of its own data from animal feeding studies. When independent scientists obtained the very same industry raw data, they have found ill health effects that could seriously affect consumers.

These animal feeding studies pointed to serious abnormalities in terms of the animals' growth, organ and immune development. In some case the damage was more significant in male than female animals and is dose-related. Many of these ill effects had been obscured in previous assessments of the data by the convoluted process of using genetically modified isogenic lines as comparator controls.

"For the last 12 years FSANZ decisions have ignored submitters concerns, now they are ignoring the science. They have shown their true colours and have been found wanting. It is unjustifiable to accept Monsanto's take on the data for making approvals, but reject independent analysis of the same data as 'anti GE' and refuse to look into the concerns," says Claire Bleakley of GE-Free NZ in food and environment.

"Why use animals tests at all if the results are going to be ignored? This refusal to look at the new interpretation of industry data shows that the revolving door of regulator and industry is alive and well, and creating bias in FSANZ decision making."

ENDS

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