- The European Food Safety Authority orders review in to the research, conducted at a French university
- Russia's decision could be followed by other nations
- Experts at the University of Caen conducted an experiment running for the full lives of rats - two years
- The findings found raised levels of breast cancer, liver and kidney damage
- The same trials also found minuscule amounts of a commonly used weedkiller, Roundup
- Both the GM corn and Roundup are the creation of US biotech company Monsanto
Russia has suspended the import and use of an American GM corn following a study suggesting a link to breast cancer and organ damage.
Separately,
the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA), has ordered its own review in to the
research, which was conducted at a French university.
The
decision by Russia could be followed by other nations in what would be a severe
blow to the take-up of the controversial technology.
 |
| Cancer risk? A farmer shows two corncobs of genetically engineered corn by U.S. company Monsanto, right, and two normal corncobs from Germany, left |
Historically,
biotech companies have proved the safety of GM crops based on trials involving
feeding rats for a period of 90 days.
However,
experts at the University of Caen conducted an experiment running for the full
lives of rats - two years.
The
findings, which were peer reviewed by independent experts before being
published in a respected scientific journal, found raised levels of breast
cancer, liver and kidney damage.
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The same
trials also found evidence that consumption of minuscule amounts of a commonly
used weedkiller, Roundup, was associated with a raised risk of cancer.
Both the GM
corn, which carries the name NK603, and Roundup are the creation of US biotech
company Monsanto.
The
decision by the Russians to suspend authorisation for the American GM corn
threatens to trigger a transatlantic commercial and diplomatic row.
 |
| Contentious: A combine harvests corn in a field near Coy, Arkansas. The decision by the Russians to suspend authorisation for the American GM corn threatens to trigger a transatlantic commercial and diplomatic row |
Russia’s
consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said today that it has suspended the
import and use of the Monsanto GM corn.
Rospotrebnadzor
said the country’s Institute of Nutrition has been asked to assess the validity
of the study.
It has also
contacted the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health &
Consumers to ask for the EU’s position on the corn’s safety.
Consumer
scepticism in the UK and Europe means GM corn is not on supermarket shelves
here, however it is fed to farm animals, including hens, pigs and dairy cows.
 |
| Important: In the USA, and much of Europe, corn is used to make an array of food products including cornflakes (picture posed by model) |
Last week
Monsanto said it did not think the French study would affect its license to
export the NK603 to Europe but would wait to hear from EFSA.
The company
said: ‘Based on our initial review, we do not believe the study presents
information that would justify any change in EFSA’s views on the safety of
genetically modified corn products or alter their approval status for
genetically modified imports.’
The biotech
industry and university researchers involved in GM research have mounted a
major PR campaign over the last year to win over sceptical consumers.
In the past
week, pro-GM scientists have been lining up to undermine the French experiments
and criticise the way they were conducted.
However, a
number of independent academics have praised the French team’s work, describing
it as the most thorough and extensive feeding trials involving GM to date.
Mustafa
Djamgoz, the Professor of Cancer Biology, at Imperial College, London, said the
findings relating to eating GM corn were a ‘surprise’.
Prof
Djamgoz, who describes himself as a neutral on GM, said: ‘The results are
significant. The experiments are, more or less, the best of their kind to
date.’
However, he
said that it is now important to ensure they are repeated with more animals by
independent laboratories to confirm the outcome.
‘We are not
scaremongering here. More research, including a repetition of this particular
study are warranted,’ he said.
The
professor said it will take two to three years to get a definitive answer.
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