The public may finally be getting an idea of just how damaging genetically modified (GM) foods can be.

That's because, thanks to a German court ruling, the biotech company Monsanto was ordered to publicly expose a controversial report about its Mon 863 variety of corn. (Mon 863 was genetically engineered to produce a form of a pesticide called bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), designed to attack a corn pest called the root worm.)

The data verified claims made by prominent scientists who found animals that ate the GM corn developed severe side effects in the blood, kidney and liver and that humans eating the corn might also be at risk.

Moreover, the nearly 1,200-page report on the corn exposed that European regulators accepted Monsanto's promises that their corn was safe, despite the unscientific and contradictory rationale that was used to dismiss significant problems. Among the problems discovered in rats that ate the corn:

• Kidney inflammation
• Liver and kidney lesions
• Increased blood sugar levels
• Reactions that mimic cancer, allergies, anemia and poor blood pressure

Scientists Speak Out

Two prominent scientists -- both uniquely qualified to assess the study -- spoke out about the findings regarding Mon 863. What did they have to say? Both scientists expressed alarm about the unsupported arguments that Monsanto and some European regulators used to force product approvals.

However, their prominent concern was the ways in which Monsanto "wrote-off" statistically significant effects.

Ditching Accepted Methods of Science

In the study, test rats ate Mon 863, while the control group ate non-GM corn from the same parent line. Considering the results were not entirely in Monsanto's favor, the company and their supporters in the European Food Safety Authority appeared to ditch the accepted methods of science to rationalize the findings and instead:

• Relied on just two observation times, which will not give data about the intervening periods; moreover, the short 90-day time period will miss chronic and reproductive problems, as well as problems in the next generation.

• Depended on analytical methods that are half a century old, and ignored powerful new methods including profiling techniques, DNA chips and proteomics.

• Reported bizarre weight measurements, suggesting possible problems with animal management or faulty data.

• Defended changes in kidney weights by comparing the values with a separate study, which used different corn genetics and a different lab.

All in all, Monsanto's research paper was confusing, conflicting and inadequately reported. It also neglected to disclose the nutritional composition of the feed (backed up by chemical analysis) and the methods used to measure changes in the animals.

Yet despite all of this, the European Food Standards Agency still recommended that Mon 863 be approved.

U.S. Support

And the United States government's support for biotech is no secret either; in fact, it is the official policy in several U.S. agencies to sponsor the industry, and some of them have attempted to push acceptance of GM crops in Europe.

Health Lies Exposed.com July 5, 2005 (Free Full-Text Article)

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Deception is rampant when it comes to corporations that have something to do with your health. They seem to believe that lives are dispensable and it is OK to harm people so they can profit. Everyone, even the CEOs of these corporations, know this is not right, yet this evil behavior persists. We are regularly exposed to this abrogation of ethics. It is important for you to understand how these powerful corporations have morphed into organizations that don't give one squat about you, except for how much income they can extract from you. This is true for nearly all of the drug companies, and it is certainly true for one of the most evil companies I can think of, Monsanto. Let's not forget, folks, these are the liars and deceivers that brought you NutraSweet (aspartame) and genetically engineered plants. Most of you probably don't understand how ubiquitous GM foods are in the food chain. The fact is that genetically modified foods are so prevalent in the United States that if you randomly pick an item off your grocery store's shelves, you have a 75 percent chance of picking a food with GM ingredients. This is because at least seven out of every 10 items have been genetically modified. If you aren't convinced this is an issue, then do yourself a favor and find some free time to review the evidence (related links below). If you are already convinced, then take some positive actions by following the list of four simple steps to decrease your consumption of GM foods as much as possible: Reduce or eliminate processed foods in your diet. The fact that 75 percent of processed foods contain GM ingredients is only one of the many reasons to stick to a whole foods diet. Read produce and food labels. Conventionally raised soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically modified crops. Ingredients made from these foods include corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, margarine, and tofu. Buy organic produce. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs. Look at produce stickers. The PLU code on stickers for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine, and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight. To further guide you in understanding the problems associated with GM foods, I strongly recommend reading the incredible series Seeds of Doubt, written by staffers at the Sacramento Bee. Related Articles: Why Genetically Modified Crops Can Devastate Health Genetically Modified Foods, Inc. Genetically Modified (GM) Foods Prepare a Takeover