THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE

Dear Friends and colleagues,

RE: Negative Effects of Three Approved GM Maize Events

Three commercialized GM maize events (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in many parts of the world, have been found to have negative effects on rats fed on the GM maize, in feeding trials conducted by Monsanto.

In their findings which have been published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, researchers from the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN) and Universities of Caen and Rouen showed that although there were different levels of adverse impacts on vital organs, nonetheless there were specific effects associated with consumption of each GMO, differentiated by sex and dose. Their analysis of the raw data from Monsanto's 90-day feeding trials found adverse impacts on the kidneys and liver as well as different levels of damage to the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system.

The researchers have concluded that all the three GMOs that they have studied contain novel pesticide residues that will be present in food and feed and may pose grave health risks to those consuming them.

Regulatory approvals for the GM maize have been given by the European authorities despite the negative side effects. The scientists therefore have called for the immediate prohibition on the import and cultivation of these GMOs and have recommended that additional research of longer duration be conducted, especially focusing on the kidney and liver.

The full report of the findings is available at: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

With best wishes,

Third World Network

131 Jalan Macalister,

10400 Penang ,

Malaysia

Email: twnet@po.jaring.my

Website: www.biosafety-info.net and www.twnside.org.sg

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Item 1

International Journal of Biological Sciences 2009; 5:706-726
Research Paper

A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health

Joël Spiroux de Vendômois1, François Roullier1, Dominique Cellier1,2,
Gilles-Eric Séralini1,3 ?

1. CRIIGEN, 40 rue Monceau, 75008 Paris , France
2. University of Rouen LITIS EA 4108, 76821 Mont -Saint-Aignan, France
3. University of Caen , Institute of Biology, Risk Pole CNRS , EA 2608,
14032 Caen , France

How to cite this article:
de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the
Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci
2009; 5:706-726. Available from http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

Abstract

We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world. NK 603 has been modified to be tolerant to the broad spectrum herbicide Roundup and thus contains residues of this formulation. MON 810 and MON 863 are engineered to synthesize two different Bt toxins used as insecticides. Approximately 60 different biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and 14 weeks of feeding. GM maize-fed rats were compared first to their respective isogenic or parental non-GM equivalent control groups. This was followed by comparison to six reference groups, which had consumed various other non-GM maize varieties. We applied nonparametric methods, including multiple pairwise comparisons with a False Discovery Rate approach. Principal Component Analysis allowed the investigation of scattering of different factors (sex, weeks of feeding, diet, dose and group). Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system.

We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.

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Item 2

Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN)

Address: 40, rue de Monceau - 75008 Paris France
e-mail: criigen@unicaen.fr
website: www.criigen.org

Three Major GMOs Approved for Food and Feed Found Unsafe

Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5(7), 706-726

Caen , 14 December 2009 : In what is being described as the first ever and most comprehensive study of three major GMOs about assessing the effects on mammalian health, researchers from CRIIGEN and Universities of Caen and Rouen have highlighted a number of new sex and often dose dependent side effects linked with their consumption. Their study of the 90-day feeding trials data of insecticide producing Mon 810, Mon 863 and Roundup herbicide absorbing NK 603 varieties of GM maize clearly underlines adverse impacts on kidneys and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, as well as different levels of damages to heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. Ironically, the confidential raw data of Monsanto about feeding trials on rats that these researchers have analyzed allowed the international authorization of these three commercialized GMOs in different parts of the world.

Although different level of adverse impact on vital organs were noticed between the three GMOs, the research done by J. Spiroux de Vendomois, F. Roullier, D. Cellier and G.E. Seralini and appeared in the International Journal of Biological Sciences shows specific effects associated with consumption of each GMO, differentiated by sex and dose. Their research follows in the wake of European Governments obtaining the raw data related to feeding of rats for 90 days and making it publically available for scrutiny and counter-evaluation.

The researchers have concluded that all the 3 GMOs that they have studied contain novel pesticide residues that will be present in food and feed and may pose grave health risks to those consuming them.

They have, therefore, called for immediate prohibition on the import and cultivation of these GMOs and have strongly recommended additional long-term (up to 2 years) and multi-generational animal feeding studies on at least three species to provide true scientifically valid data on the acute and chronic toxic effects of GM crops, feed and foods.

CRIIGEN denounces in particular the past opinions of EFSA, AFSSA and CGB, committees of European and French Food Safety Authorities, and others who spoke on the lack of risks on the tests which were conducted just for 90 days on rats to assess the safety of these three GM varieties of maize.

While criticizing their failure to examine the detailed statistics, CRIIGEN also emphasizes the conflict of interest and incompetence of these committees to counter expertise this publication as they have already voted positively on the same tests ignoring the side effects.

Contact:

Prof. Gilles-Eric SERALINI, criigen@unicaen.fr; tel. 33 2 31 56 56 84, or 33 6 70 80 20 87.

Citation:
de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726.

Available from http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm