GM corn led to rapid death in rats

Gene-modified feed resulted in early death in rats

19/09/2012

The results of a French study on GM maize are alarming: Rats fed GM maize from US agribusiness giant Monsanto over an extended period of time died much earlier than animals that did not eat GM maize. Monsanto is repeatedly criticized for its controversial business policy and its influence on politics.

Genetic corn caused cancer in rats?
As the French researchers report in the journal "Food and Chemical Toxicology", the GM-fed rats die younger and are more likely to suffer from cancer. Gilles-Eric Seralini, a professor at the University of Caen and an expert on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food called the results as „alarming“.

The researchers had observed 200 rats over a two-year period. The animals were divided into three groups: the first group was fed with the GM maize NK603, the second with the same Genmaissorte, in addition to the pesticide „Roundup“ - also from the manufacturer Monsanto - was sprayed. The third group received conventional corn, which also with „Roundup“ was treated. Corn accounted for about 11 percent of the total diet, which is similar to US dietary habits.

First investigated effects of GM maize and pesticides
According to Seralini, the GM-fed rats died much earlier than the animals in the comparison group. After 17 months, five times more rats died in the Genmais group. According to the study, most female animals suffered from breast cancer while males frequently developed skin or kidney tumors. Genetic manipulation would change maize to tolerate pesticides or even produce its own, explained Seralini. The expert on GMOs in food had already worked as a consultant in about 30 countries in various expert committees.

The study was the first scientific study to investigate the long-term health effects of GM maize and pesticides. According to Seralini one „The funding was provided by the Ceres Foundation, which owns about 50 companies, some of them from the food sector and expressly abstaining from GMOs, and Seralini is in charge of administering the foundation's funds.

Genmais is always in the criticism
Already in 2007, Seralini had commissioned the environmental organization Greenpeace to present an evaluation of the toxicity study of the genetically modified maize MON863, in which the test data from the application documents for the approval of the genetically modified maize of Monsanto were re-evaluated. Seralini and his team wrote after their analysis of the 90-day rat study of Monsanto in „Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology: „We observed that the rats showed slight but dose-dependent significant changes in growth in both sexes after consuming MON863, resulting in 3.3% weight loss in the males and 3.7% in the females in the females. Chemical measurements also showed signs of liver toxicity, which also varied in males and females.“

The import and use as feed of MON863 was approved on August 10, 2005 by decision of the European Commission. On January 13, 2006, Monsanto also received approval for GM corn as a food. The genomic strain NK603, which has been investigated in the current French study, has also been approved as feed by the EU Commission since October 2004 and as food since March 2005. France banned the cultivation of GM maize in May 2012. An initially repealed moratorium thus regained validity. The background to this was new scientific findings, which led the French government to request the European Commission to suspend a license for GM corn from the US company Monsanto. The European Court of Justice had asked Paris first to prove a risk to humans, animals or the environment before banishing the genetically permitted GM maize from its own land. (Ag)

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Picture: Clicker