Home > Press releases > 2000
18 Oct 2000
A
leading UK animal scientist said today that he would not drink milk from
cows fed the GM maize that is currently being scrutinised at a government
public hearing.
Professor Bob Orskov OBE, Director of the International Feed
Resource Unit in Aberdeen today appeared as an expert witness for Friends
of the Earth at the national seed list hearing in London.The hearing is
considering objections to a government proposal to allow Chardon LL, the
first GM maize to be licensed for sale in the UK. He believes that “The
scientific case put forward for this GM maize is not adequate” and
says that “if the GM maize was approved for commercial growing
in the UK then people would be justified in turning their back on consuming
milk derived from it...As a scientist I wouldn't drink milk from cows
fed GM maize with the present state of knowledge.”
Professor Orskov's fears were also shared by another eminent scientist
giving evidence today. Dr Vyvyan Howard, Head of the Foetal and
Infant Toxico-Pathology Group at the University of Liverpool, today said
“my interpretation is that this GM maize has not been tested thoroughly”.
At today's hearing, safety data presented by Aventis, the biotech firm
that owns the maize, was heavily criticised. The GM maize has not been
tested on cattle, even though it is intended for their use. Instead a
protein from oilseed rape - which, say Aventis, is the same as the one
in the GM maize - was fed to rats over a two week period. The maize grain
was also fed to broiler chickens for 42 days, though these were for general
nutritional tests and not proper toxicological testing.Chickens and rats
only have one stomach whereas cows (ruminants) have four.
Professor Orskov, one of the country's leading experts on ruminant
nutrition is adamant that the GM maize should be thoroughly tested on
cattle before being introduced commercially as animal feed. He said:
“The scientific case put forward for this GM maize is not adequate.
Chemical analyses of the kind reported cannot identity potential problems.
We need to carry out proper,long-term tests both on the effect of the
maize silage for the microbes in the stomach of the ruminants which digest
the feed and on the host animals. This has not been done.
“There is also a serious problem of perception by the consuming
public. Since adults do not have a requirement for milk they could switch
to other foods. Aventis needs to pay attention to this. If the GM maize
was approved for commercial growing in the UK then people would be justified
in turning their back on consuming milk derived from it. This would have
a disastrous effect on our dairy industry. As a scientist I wouldn't drink
milk from cows fed GM maize with the present state of knowledge. I have
in my brief report stated the minimum amount of information required before
it could be accepted for growing in the UK. And even if it could be scientifically
proven to be harmless there may still be a problem of consumer perception.
The existing hurry seems to be supply pushed rather than demand led.”
Dr Vyvyan Howard is also critical of safety tests on the GM maize. He
dismisses claims by Aventis that some of the safety tests are not needed
because the GM maize is not “materially different” from
conventional varieties. After analysing Aventis' limited safety data,
Dr Howard concluded that there were statistically significant differences
in the composition of fat, protein and fibre between the GM maize silage
and the non-GM counterparts. Statistically significant differences in
fat and carbohydrate values of the GM and non-GM grain samples were also
discovered. He said:
“ My interpretation is that this GM maize has not been tested
thoroughly. They have taken a protein from another plant and fed it to
rats. I do not feel this can be used as a basis for making judgements
about the safety of this GM maize with respect to cattle. What will happen
if the maize is fed to cows as part of their diet? This is the question
that needs to answered. The experiments carried out by Aventis are just
a surrogate for a well-designed feeding trials, which would be both relevant
and informative.”
Adrian Bebb, Food Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:
"The public should be concerned about these shocking revelations.
Despite assurances from both Government and industry the reality is that
the safety of these GM crops has not been properly tested. If it wasn't
so serious it would be laughable. It is clear that the Government has
not learnt anything from the BSE fiasco. Surely this GM maize cannot now
be added to the national seed list and be sold to farmers."
In April the Government announced its intention to allow Aventis' GM maize,
Chardon LL which has been genetically engineered to be resistant to Aventis'
own herbicide, to be added to the national seed list. This is the final
legal barrier before a GM seed can be sold to farmers. This would have
been the first GM crop to have been added to the list. However, FOE discovered
a little-known law which gave the public the right to appeal against the
decision. Sixty seven groups and individuals have paid £60 to have
their objections heard in public, with hundreds more filing written objections
(which cost £30). The National Seed List hearing started on 2 October
and is expected to last about 9 weeks. Aventis is refusing to produce
any evidence at the hearing.
Witnesses' evidence is available in Acrobat PDF format:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/food_and_biotechnology/pdf/gm_forage_testing.pdf
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/food_and_biotechnology/pdf/chardon11_safety.pdf
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
