Archived press release

Top scientists hit out at GM safety tests.

18 October 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

• Dr C V Howard is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Fetal and Infant Toxico-Pathology Group at the University of Liverpool. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and was previously General Editor of the Journal of Microscopy, an internationally recognised publication and the official journal of the Royal Microscopical Society.
• Professor Orskov is the Director of the International Feed Resource Unit. He is a leading expert on ruminant nutrition publishing 4 books and is the author or co-author of more than 500 publications.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust