Community Outrage over GM Foods
 Concerned people attending the meeting were warned by a panel of experts of the dangers of genetically modified organisms |
Not even ‘standing room only’ at the Rennie Lecture Theatre on the evening of Wed 7th February. The audience was overflowing, at least 350 people, with dozens of people standing in doorways and sitting on floors.
They had come to hear a panel of speakers, including visiting American expert, Dr. Steven Druker, discuss the dangers of genetically modified food. The speakers put a comprehensive case for an immediate halt to this sort of experimentation on unsuspecting humans, that is being carried out without any significant prior testing whatsoever.
The first speaker, Dr. Kate Clinch-Jones, told the audience that Australians have been eating GM foods since December 1996, when GM soy (present in a majority of processed foods) was introduced to Australia. Since then, we could also be eating GM corn, canola, sugar beet, potato, and many more – not that we could tell, because they’re not labelled. Dr. Clinch-Jones spoke of the health risks involved, and said that there is not one single GM food available anywhere in the world that is more nutritious than a non-GM food.
Dr. Judy Carmen, an expert on metabolic regulation, explained that if GM foods were to go through the testing processes legally required of new drugs, the testing procedures would take years, which the GM industry would not tolerate. She pointed out some issues around the independence of the Australian regulatory body (Australian & New Zealand Food Authority – ANZFA) when it comes to the regulation of new foods. ANZFA’s main role relates to public health and safety, but another stated role is to promote fair trade and commerce. ANZFA does not do their own testing – any testing on GM foods has been done from data supplied by the company promoting the product themselves. ANZFA’s official statement on GM products: “.. regarded as safe until proven harmful”, but unfortunately we wouldn’t know, since there has been no meaningful testing, and ANZFA reports / test results are not published in the scientific literature. There are seven foods that have never been tested on humans, and yet we are all eating them.
Dr. Carmen reminded the audience of the difficulty in proving a link between GM products and deleterious health effects, comparing it to the tobacco industry. There were audible rumbles in the audience when Dr. Carmen summarised by saying that there is no human health reason to introduce GM foods, there is no evidence of their safety, and that scientists will not be able to help the general public with a proven link in time to prevent serious problems. “We are in the middle of a great experiment where we are the animals”, she concluded.
 Consulibus M. Vinicio et Q. Lucretio et postea P. Lentulo et Cn. Lentulo et tertium Paullo Fabio Maximo et Q. (Photograph: Gaeius Caligula) |
Mr. Bill Hankin, Vice President Seed Heritage Council of S.A., reminded the audience of the ethical issues around genetically modifying any living thing.
The special guest speaker, Dr. Steven Drucker, is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Bio-Integrity which has been engaged in a law suit with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) over its poor regulation of GM food. This is of grave concern to all Australians as GM food has been passed as safe by ANZFA on the basis of this assessment by the FDA. Through the court battle, the Alliance for Bio-Integrity forced the FDA to release otherwise secret documents, which can be found at www.biointegrity.org.
Dr. Drucker told the meeting that these documents show the FDA knowingly lied about what it knew about the safety of GM foods. In January 1992, the FDA issued a statement that “the FDA had not found it necessary to undertake testing (of GM foods)”. In May 1992, the FDA issued official policy stating that “there is overwhelming consensus in the scientific community that these foods are safe” despite their own Compliance Officer raising serious concerns in January 1992. In fact, no independent scientist has ever expressed the opinion that these foods are safe.
Dr. Drucker said that if the FDA had done its job, then no GM foods would have been approved anywhere in the world. He urged Australians to act quickly on this matter. A resolution was put to the meeting for an immediate moratorium on GM foods, and was passed unanimously. The meeting concluded with questions to the speakers.
