And new information is being revealed almost daily of
the side effects...
Scientists say new study shows pig health hurt by GM
feed.
Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified (GM) grain
showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than
pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a
new study by a team of Australian scientists and U.S.
researchers.
The study adds to an intensifying public debate over
the impact of genetically modified crops, which are
widely used by U.S. and Latin American farmers and
in many other countries around the world.
The study was published in the June issue of the
peer-reviewed Journal of Organic Systems by
researchers from Australia who worked with two
veterinarians and a farmer in Iowa to study the U.S.
pigs.
Lead researcher Judy Carman is an epidemiologist
and biochemist and director of the Institute of Health
and Environmental Research in Adelaide, Australia.
The study was conducted over 22.7 weeks using 168
newly weaned pigs in a commercial U.S. piggery.
One group of 84 ate a diet that incorporated GM soy
and corn, and the other group of 84 pigs ate an
equivalent non-GM diet. The corn and soy feed was
obtained from commercial suppliers, the study said,
and the pigs were reared under identical housing and
feeding conditions. The pigs were then slaughtered
roughly five months later and autopsied by
veterinarians who were not informed which pigs were
fed on the GM diet and which were from the control
group.
Researchers said there were no differences seen
between pigs fed the GM and non-GM diets for feed
intake, weight gain, mortality and routine blood
biochemistry measurements.
But those pigs that ate the GM diet had a higher rate
of severe stomach inflammation -- 32 percent of
GM-fed pigs, compared to 12 per cent of non-GM-
fed pigs. The inflammation was worse in GM-fed
males compared to non-GM fed males by a factor of
4.0, and GM-fed females compared to non-GM-fed
females by a factor of 2.2. As well, GM-fed pigs had
uteri that were 25 per cent heavier than non-GM fed
pigs, the study said.
The researchers said more long-term animal feeding
studies need to be done.
Biotech seeds are genetically altered to grow into
plants that tolerate treatments of herbicide and resist
pests, making producing crops easier for farmers.
Some critics have argued for years that the DNA
changes made to the transgenic plants engineer novel
proteins that can be causing the digestive problems
in animals and possibly in humans.
The companies that develop these transgenic crops,
using DNA from other bacteria and other species,
assert they are more than proven safe over their use
since 1996.
CropLife International, a global federation
representing the plant science industry, said more
than 150 scientific studies have been done on
animals fed biotech crops and to date, there is not
scientific evidence of any detrimental impact.
-- Carey Gillam reports on agribusiness and ag
commodities for Reuters from St. Louis.
the side effects...
Scientists say new study shows pig health hurt by GM
feed.
Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified (GM) grain
showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than
pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a
new study by a team of Australian scientists and U.S.
researchers.
The study adds to an intensifying public debate over
the impact of genetically modified crops, which are
widely used by U.S. and Latin American farmers and
in many other countries around the world.
The study was published in the June issue of the
peer-reviewed Journal of Organic Systems by
researchers from Australia who worked with two
veterinarians and a farmer in Iowa to study the U.S.
pigs.
Lead researcher Judy Carman is an epidemiologist
and biochemist and director of the Institute of Health
and Environmental Research in Adelaide, Australia.
The study was conducted over 22.7 weeks using 168
newly weaned pigs in a commercial U.S. piggery.
One group of 84 ate a diet that incorporated GM soy
and corn, and the other group of 84 pigs ate an
equivalent non-GM diet. The corn and soy feed was
obtained from commercial suppliers, the study said,
and the pigs were reared under identical housing and
feeding conditions. The pigs were then slaughtered
roughly five months later and autopsied by
veterinarians who were not informed which pigs were
fed on the GM diet and which were from the control
group.
Researchers said there were no differences seen
between pigs fed the GM and non-GM diets for feed
intake, weight gain, mortality and routine blood
biochemistry measurements.
But those pigs that ate the GM diet had a higher rate
of severe stomach inflammation -- 32 percent of
GM-fed pigs, compared to 12 per cent of non-GM-
fed pigs. The inflammation was worse in GM-fed
males compared to non-GM fed males by a factor of
4.0, and GM-fed females compared to non-GM-fed
females by a factor of 2.2. As well, GM-fed pigs had
uteri that were 25 per cent heavier than non-GM fed
pigs, the study said.
The researchers said more long-term animal feeding
studies need to be done.
Biotech seeds are genetically altered to grow into
plants that tolerate treatments of herbicide and resist
pests, making producing crops easier for farmers.
Some critics have argued for years that the DNA
changes made to the transgenic plants engineer novel
proteins that can be causing the digestive problems
in animals and possibly in humans.
The companies that develop these transgenic crops,
using DNA from other bacteria and other species,
assert they are more than proven safe over their use
since 1996.
CropLife International, a global federation
representing the plant science industry, said more
than 150 scientific studies have been done on
animals fed biotech crops and to date, there is not
scientific evidence of any detrimental impact.
-- Carey Gillam reports on agribusiness and ag
commodities for Reuters from St. Louis.
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