Earlier this year, a nutrition journal retracted an article about the potential dangers of eating food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), noting the paper contained a duplicated image.

At the time, news outlets in Italy were reporting accusations that the last author, Federico Infascelli, an animal nutrition researcher at the University of Naples, had falsified some of his research.

Food and Nutrition Sciences has now updated its initial notice, saying the paper was pulled for data fabrication. In addition, Infascelli is no longer listed on its editorial board – he is included on an archived link to the editorial board from March 2016, but not on the current list of members.

Here is the updated version of the retraction notice for “Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Activity in Kids Born from Goats Fed Genetically Modified Soybean:”

This paper involves in data fabrication so it does not meet the standard for publication. This article has been retracted to straighten the academic record. In making this decision the Editorial Board follows COPE’s Retraction Guidelines. Aim is to promote the circulation of scientific research by offering an ideal research publication platform with due consideration of internationally accepted standards on publication ethics. The Editorial Board would like to extend its sincere apologies for any inconvenience this retraction may have caused. Editor guiding this retraction: Professor Alessandra Bordoni (EiC of FNS)

The statement includes a checklist noting the author engaged in academic misconduct, the results are “overall invalid,” and the probe was initiated by the editor with “hints” from the publisher and a reader.

When we reported on the original retraction in January, we noted it was initiated by hints from Italian Senator and stem cell researcher Elena Cattaneo. According to Il Foglio (using Google Translate), Cattaneo began investigating the research following a debate in the senate on GMOs. Using image analyzing software, she discovered that some of the figures had been manipulated.

The original paper showed modified genes could wind up in the blood and organs of baby goats whose mothers ate GM soybeans.

Hat tip: Enrico

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