Carl
These frogs are going to save your life! Looks like you are the bigger nut;0)
GM corn tied to cancer? France orders probe
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PARIS: France's government on Wednesday asked a health watchdog to carry out a probe, possibly leading to EU suspension of a genetically-modified corn, after a study in rats linked the grain to cancer. Agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll, ecology minister Delphine Batho and health and social affairs minister Marisol Touraine said they had asked the National Agency for Health Safety (ANSES) to investigate the finding.
"Depending on ANSES' opinion, the government will urge the European authorities to take all necessary measures to protect human and animal health," they said in a statement.
"(The measures) could go as far as invoking emergency suspension of imports of NK603 corn to Europe pending a re-examination of this product on basis of enhanced assessment methods."
Earlier, French scientists led by Gilles-Eric Seralini at the University of Caen in Normandy unveiled a study that said rats fed with NK603 corn or exposed to the weedkiller used with it developed tumours. NK603 is a corn, also called maize, made by US agribusiness giant Monsanto. It has been engineered to make it resistant to Monsanto's herbicide Roundup.
GM crops are widely grown in North America, Brazil and China but are a hot-button issue in Europe. The study, published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, says it is the first to look at rats over their normal lifespan of two years.
Asked to respond, the French unit of Monsanto said "it is too soon to make a serious comment because we have to evaluate the study. As soon as it is available, our experts will look closely at it to give their scientific assessment". Green groups say GM crops could be dangerous to health and the environment, although this claim has so far found no traction in studies. The Monsanto spokesman said that "more than 300 peer-reviewed studies" had found GM food was safe. |
