Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: I don't know if any of you worry about Monsanto...
Created on: 01/14/10 04:29 PM Views: 2192 Replies: 10
txgirl Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82	I don't know if any of you worry about Monsanto... Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 4:29 PM I don't normally read the Huffington Post except when a headline really catches my eye, as this one did: Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals (http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100114/cm_huffpost/420365) In a study released by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers found that agricultural giant Monsanto's GM corn is linked to organ damage in rats. According to the study, which was summarized by Rady Ananda at Food Freedom, "Three varieties of Monsanto's GM corn - Mon 863, insecticide-producing Mon 810, and Roundup® herbicide-absorbing NK 603 - were approved for consumption by US, European and several other national food safety authorities." Monsanto gathered its own crude statistical data after conducting a 90-day study, even though chronic problems can rarely be found after 90 days, and concluded that the corn was safe for consumption. The stamp of approval may have been premature, however. In the conclusion of the IJBS study, researchers wrote: "Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others. We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity....These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown." Monsanto has immediately responded to the study, stating that the research is "based on faulty analytical methods and reasoning and do not call into question the safety findings for these products." The IJBS study's author Gilles-Eric Séralini responded to the Monsanto statement on the blog, Food Freedom, "Our study contradicts Monsanto conclusions because Monsanto systematically neglects significant health effects in mammals that are different in males and females eating GMOs, or not proportional to the dose. This is a very serious mistake, dramatic for public health. This is the major conclusion revealed by our work, the only careful reanalysis of Monsanto crude statistical data."
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shanna Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287	RE:...if any of you worry about Monsanto... Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 4:39 PM Yeah, I saw that too. Monsanto is scary...and way, way too powerful a company. Did you see Food, Inc.? There was also an article in either Harper's or Atlantic Monthly a couple of years ago that I found just shocking--about how they've managed to basically outlaw the practice of farmers saving seeds and will prosecute anyone whose crops test positive for their trademarked genes, even if the corn was naturally air-pollinated, etc. Farmers have to sign a licensing agreement like for software. Totally insane. My grandparents were farmers so this really ticks me off. Another great reason to avoid corn and soy that's not organic. More than 90% of conventional soy and corn in the US is GMO and probably belongs to Monsanto. (Certified organic products are prohibited from using GMO ingredients.) Boo. Hiss.
	Edited 01/14/10 4:41 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
txgirl Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82	RE: I don't know if any of you worry Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 4:39 PM Here are the links to the study and the blog that are referenced in the article: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/three-approved-gmos-linked-to-organ-damage/ The blog article ends with the particularly ominous paragraph: Quote: Human health, of course, is of primary import to us, but ecological effects are also in play. Ninety-nine percent of GMO crops either tolerate or produce insecticide. This may be the reason we see bee colony collapse disorder and massive butterfly deaths. If GMOs are wiping out Earth’s pollinators, they are far more disastrous than the threat they pose to humans and other mammals.
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txgirl Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82	RE: I worry about Monsanto... Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 5:04 PM I learned about Monsanto in 2002 or 2003. The first time, I thought Monsanto was some high-level South American bureaucrat because these farmers (in I forget what country) were complaining that they have to plant what Monsanto tells them and talking about smuggling in seeds from other countries. Then I got sent to Cancun during the WTO meetings in 2003 (to deliver supplies for the explosives detectors) and I went and checked out the protests and was surprised to learn that Monsanto was the company that all these WTO protesters seemed to hate the most. Their tactics, combined with the heavy subsidies here in the US, make it almost impossible for small farmers in the 3rd world to compete. (I know that seems odd when so much of our produce comes from Latin America, but those are usually from large corporate farms and we're not really growing apples in February or bananas, etc.) When a company has to issue a press release claiming they are not to blame for the increase in farmer suicides, you've got a serious problem.
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paws2rescue Joined: 01/02/10 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 4	non-GMO soy Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 6:49 PM Thanks for starting this thread. When I ate dairy I was very careful to consume locally sourced, hormone and antibiotic-free, third party certified organic dairy. Now I'm replacing my dairy with soy and I can't tell the "good" stuff from the "bad." I do know that more than half of US soy crops use genetically modified seed. Does anyone know of companies whose soy products are non-GMO? Is there something I can be looking for on a package (some kind of non-GMO certification)? Thanks!
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txgirl Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82	RE: I worry about Monsanto... Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 7:08 PM Quote: I do know that more than half of US soy crops use genetically modified seed. Does anyone know of companies whose soy products are non-GMO? Is there something I can be looking for on a package (some kind of non-GMO certification)? I don't know about certification or a symbol, but some brands mention it somewhere on the package. On the Silk brand of soymilk, it's mentioned halfway through the narrative on the back of the carton. If items are FDA certified as organic, then they have to be non-GMO.
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shanna Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287	RE: I don't know if any of you worry about Monsant Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 7:11 PM Yes, organic certification means at least 95% organic and zero GMO--packaged foods as well as fruits and vegetables. Also Whole Foods just issued a new labeling set up for GMO in their stores. (See their website for more.) Many health food brands also specify non-GMO on their packages. I'm on my phone right now, but there's an article in the Green section of the Huffington Post that is all about how to avoid them, with links to a site that lists brands, etc. I'll come back and post that in a minute. Update: article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-grayson/eco-etiquette-how-can-i-a_b_421183.html shopping guide site: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/Home/index.cfm
	Edited 01/14/10 7:19 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
LoriAOF Joined: 01/02/10 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 9	I don't know if any of you worry about Monsanto... Posted Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 9:00 PM Just be careful about relating rat studies to humans. Rats grow tumors rapidly without even messing with them. They are prone to that. We had a pet rat once and he had a big fat tumor on his underside by his first birthday and we were not giving him any kind of drugs or anything. Be aware, but be careful about this kind of stuff. Sometimes the goal is to get people to freak out!
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healthynell Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 31	RE: I don't know if any of you worry about Monsant Posted Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 6:01 PM It's interesting that this topic came up, because I just recently ran across and article about Monsanto called, "Supreme Court to Hear First Genetically Engineered Crop Case" and here's the link: http://truefoodnow.org/2010/01/15/supreme-court-to-hear-first-genetically-engineered-crop-case/ Monsanto does not play fair.
	Edited 01/17/10 6:08 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
healthynell Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 31	RE: I don't know if any of you worry about Monsant Posted Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 6:04 PM This website also has a shopper's guide to help people try to avoid genetically engineered foods. You can get to it at this link: http://truefoodnow.org/campaigns/genetically-engineered-foods/shoppers-guide/
	Edited 01/17/10 6:06 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
banpwong Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24	I don't know if any of you worry about Monsanto... Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 7:53 PM I have started to use non-GMO grains and soy. I have stop buying chemicals for weed and pest control and opted with the old fashion but more labor intensive methods.
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