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Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

biolsci.org

11–20 of 49 posts

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#11
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Citation?

Here is Monsanto's response to a more recent paper by the same authors: "The authors present no new information, raise no new issues, and reiterate theoretical concerns that already have been dismissed by experts and regulatory authorities around the world." http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/IJBS-GMO-health-risk...

That is what you'd expect from the company who produces GM corn. Any third-party non-partial analyses of papers by those same authors?

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#12
post #7
post #6

This study has been debunked. It was paid for by an environmentalist group and the people behind the study used a faulty methodology to get the results that they wanted.

Citation?

This study is actually a statistical reanalysis of earlier studies that was found lacking. The same group also produced a 2007 Greenpeace funded study that was rejected. The 2009 reanalysis was also widely rejected (by the French High Council of Biotechnologies Scientific Committee, The European Food Safety Authority GMO Panel, and Food Standards Australia New Zealand).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MON_863

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is Monsanto's response to a more recent paper by the same authors: "The authors present no new information, raise no new issues, and reiterate theoretical concerns that already have been dismissed by experts and regulatory authorities around the world." http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/IJBS-GMO-health-risk...

That is what you'd expect from the company who produces GM corn. Any third-party non-partial analyses of papers by those same authors?

There was some interesting discussion over at Discover magazine:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/01/15/gm-corn...

They mainly channel Karl Haro von Mogel, who notes on his blog "the authors have a little history of making mistakes with statistics with this same data set" and points to further information:

http://www.biofortified.org/2010/01/organ-failure-organ-dama...

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#14
post #5

Even if this is true, the way it's written qualifies it as (not necessarily deliberate) scaremongering, as it identifies the commonality between the experimental varieties of corn as being that they were genetically modified, rather than that they were genetically modified to produce pesticides. The latter could plausibly have such a uniform effect, whereas the former could not. They need to be precise and say what t…

The real results are the meta-results: that such a small and narrow study is all we have in the way of research into the possible effects of GM foods.

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#15
post #14
post #5

Even if this is true, the way it's written qualifies it as (not necessarily deliberate) scaremongering, as it identifies the commonality between the experimental varieties of corn as being that they were genetically modified, rather than that they were genetically modified to produce pesticides. The latter could plausibly have such a uniform effect, whereas the former could not. They need to be precise and say what t…

The real results are the meta-results: that such a small and narrow study is all we have in the way of research into the possible effects of GM foods.

This is far from the only study that's been done on the matter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_contr...

"However, an article in 2007 by Vain found 692 research studies focusing on GM crop and food safety and identified a strong increase in the publication of such articles in recent years"

Though the veracity (and funding sources) of said studies is a different matter entirely.

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#16
The paper itself says it can't separate out the effects of the pesticides on the corn (or produced by the corn) and the GMness of the corn itself - you think greenpeace would fake a paper this inconclusive?

(That said, I have no special knowledge of the concept or this field.)

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#17
We are doomed because big business is protected by politicians on both sides.

It's too late now and it will never be banned.

And why the heck does the USA continue to do welfare for the corn industry which is massively profitable.

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is Monsanto's response to a more recent paper by the same authors: "The authors present no new information, raise no new issues, and reiterate theoretical concerns that already have been dismissed by experts and regulatory authorities around the world." http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/IJBS-GMO-health-risk...

That is what you'd expect from the company who produces GM corn. Any third-party non-partial analyses of papers by those same authors?

Sorry, accidental downvote (big thumb, small screen).

I'd like to add that, partiality aside, the Monsanto's argument is fallatious and unconvincing (appeal to authority). Give me data from independent, properly designed studies, not the mere opinion of experts.

Re: Study: GM corn causes organ failure in mice

#19
post #17

We are doomed because big business is protected by politicians on both sides. It's too late now and it will never be banned. And why the heck does the USA continue to do welfare for the corn industry which is massively profitable.

Corn is an Iowa thing; Iowa has the first Presidential caucus in the nation: U.S. Presidents are beholden to corn.

Bear in mind, this is a gross over-simplification of the core problem (e.g. Archer-Daniels-Midland seems to have an amazingly powerful set of lobbyists), but it should still give you a sense of what's what.

Setting aside native sons (Tom Harkin 1992; plus, Clinton's 'bimbo eruptions' didn't help), you have to go all the way back to 1988 to find a Presidential candidate who won without carrying Iowa.

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