GE Corn Resistant To Twelve Pesticides A Poisonous Cocktail

A variety of genetically engineered (GE) corn developed to survive spraying with up to twelve different pesticides risks exposing consumers in New Zealand or Australia to increased levels of toxic chemicals.

Bayer Crop Science has applied to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) for approval of the most extreme 'gene-stacked' food ever grown.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for submissions on the latest GM corn MON 87429, resistant to the toxic sprays: glyphosate, dicamba, glufosinate, 2,4-D and eight aryloxyphenoxypropionate group herbicides (‘FOPs’). The seed is also coated with the systemic bee killing neonicotinoid insecticide. [1]

FSANZ will inevitably approve the product, despite an absence of safety data on the potential impact of the GE corn absorbing multiple chemicals, and without investigating whether there are unintended mutations when combining gene editing and transgenic engineering [2].

Typically, FSANZ assessment of MON 87429 is based on insufficient research and relies on inaccurate and purely theoretical data. FSANZ conflates, ignores, and selectively overlooks data that reveals problems. [3]

“Allowing a food to be sprayed with a cocktail of toxic herbicides which have a history of chronic health effects is irresponsible and endangers public health,” said Claire Bleakley from GE-Free NZ.

“Any pretence by FSANZ and the Ministerial forum that the new corn variety has been subjected to authentic testing for safety is disingenuous as well as irresponsible in the extreme.”

Data cited in Bayer’s application came from Monsanto, who have shown they cannot be trusted to avoid manipulation or not to omit data demonstrating clear cancer-related connexions to its herbicides. This has led to court judgments against Monsanto/Bayer and awards of millions of dollars to farmers and workers using the carcinogenic herbicide glyphosate.

Clearly, to provide food that is fresh and pesticide free is better for people in New Zealand and Australia. Foods that are genetically modified, highly processed, and grown with pesticides are known to undermine our immune systems making us more vulnerable to illness.

References:

[1] Application A1192 Food derived from herbicide-tolerant corn line MON87429 https://www.foodstandards.govt.nz/code/applications/Documents/A1192%20SD1.pdf

[2] CRISPR-Cas12a has widespread off-target and dsDNA-nicking effects

Murugan K, Seetharam A, Severin A. and Sashital D.

https://www.jbc.org/content/early/2020/03/11/jbc.RA120.012933

[3] Monsanto Papers/Secret documents https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/toxic-tort-law/monsanto-roundup-lawsuit/monsanto-secret-documents/

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