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PRESS RELEASE
Research Highlights Risk of using Viral Promoter Genes in New Foods
Fragments of artificial genes inserted into foods were detected in the
brain cells of baby mice in research conducted Dr. Walter Doefler of the
Institute of Genetics, University of Cologne. (Ref: Journal of molecular
genetics and genetics Vol 242: 495-504, 1994 ) Conventional wisdom had
previously assumed that genetic material was destroyed in the process of
digestion. The research emerged on the UTV World in Action programme last
Monday.
"This has huge implications for the use of genetically engineered foods"
said Quentin Gargan of Genetic Concern. "Industry would have us believe
that genetic engineering is a simple technology in which a single naturally
occurring gene is taken from one plant and inserted into another, but
nothing could be further from the truth".
We may have a gene which gives us blue eyes, and this gene exists in every
cell in our body - part of this gene is a promoter region which ensures
that it is only switched on in cells in our eyes - otherwise, every part
of our body would be blue from our hair to our toenails.
When artificial genes are inserted into a plant, they are accompanied by a
promoter region from a virus. This promoter ensures that the gene is
switched on at all times and in all parts of the plant. Viruses such as the
cauliflower mosaic virus and a figwort virus have promoter regions which
are highly active, and these are included in genes which were inserted into
the sugar beet currently being tested in field trials by Monsanto around
the country.
"The idea that fragments of DNA from viral promoters could find their way
into cells of new born babies is a frightening prospect", said Quentin
Gargan of Genetic Concern "yet Monsanto admitted in the World in Action
programme that they do not conduct long term testing of these genetically
engineered foods". ....
"Once again, we hear regulatory authorities assuring us that there is no
scientific evidence that genetically modified foods are unsafe - this was
exactly the situation with BSE, DDT, Thalidomide and many other calamities"
said Mr Gargan "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and with
something irreversible such as genetic engineering, we must learn from past
mistakes and take a very cautious approach"
ENDS
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Richard Wolfson, PhD
Consumer Right to Know Campaign,
for Mandatory Labelling and Long-term
Testing of all Genetically Engineered Foods,
500 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 6N2
tel. 613-565-8517 fax. 613-565-1596
email: rwolfson@concentric.net
Our website, http://www.natural-law.ca/genetic/geindex.html
contains more information on genetic engineering as well as
previous genetic engineering news items
Subscription fee to genetic engineering news is $35 for 12 months
See website for details.
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