http://ens-news.com/ens/oct2000/2000L-10-19-10.html Transgenic Animal Feed Could Affect Dairy Products LONDON, United Kingdom, October 19, 2000 (ENS) - The genetically modified maize under scrutiny at a government public hearing in the UK has not been thoroughly tested and should not be sold commercially, according to two scientists called as expert witnesses, Wednesday. Called maize in much of the world, in North America the grain is known as corn. Cattle are at the center of intense debate in the UK over the use of GM maize, or corn, as animal fodder. (Photos by Ian Britton, courtesy http://Freefoto.com) Professor Bob Orskov, director of the International Feed Resource Unit in Aberdeen, Scotland, told the hearing he would not drink milk from cows fed the genetically modified (GM) fodder maize, known as Chardon LL. The biotechnology company Aventis applied to the government to have Chardon LL included on the National Seed List, which would allow it to be grown and sold commercially as cattle feed. Environmental group Friends of the Earth challenged the application, forcing a public hearing on the issue. Genetic modification involves altering an organism's genetic code or DNA in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination. Selected individual genes can be transferred from one organism to another, sometimes between non-related species. Chardon LL, for instance, has been genetically engineered to be resistant to Aventis' own herbicide. Genetic modification technology is routinely used in thousands of research laboratories worldwide and has resulted in many new products and processes such as industrial enzymes and medicines such as insulin and vaccines. But the use of genetic modification in agriculture and the food industry is currently the focus of intense public and political debate. Proponents argue that GM technology could produce cheaper, more nutritious food that requires less weedkiller and pesticide. It could also grow food in colder or drier climates. Consumers, environmentalists and some scientists worry about risks to human health and the environment. They fear that GM crops could cause toxic or allergenic effects to humans. They are also concerned about large scale elimination of indigenous agricultural and natural species. In tests, Aventis fed to rats and chickens a protein from oilseed rape, which the firm says is found in Chardon LL. In the case of Chardon LL, Orskov is one such skeptic. He has been awarded the Order of the British Empire and is an expert on nutrition in the group of animals known as ruminants which includes cows. Orskov has published four books and is the author or co-author of more than 500 scientific publications. "The scientific case put forward for this GM maize is not adequate," said Orskov, yesterday. "If the GM maize was approved for commercial growing in the UK then people would be justified in turning their back on consuming milk derived from it. As a scientist I wouldn't drink milk from cows fed GM maize with the present state of knowledge." Orskov's criticism was shared by Dr. Vyvyan Howard, head of the Foetal and Infant Toxico-Pathology Group at the University of Liverpool. "My interpretation is that this GM maize has not been tested thoroughly," said Dr. Howard. Howard and Orskov's main criticism of safety data presented by Aventis is that the firm has not tested Chardon LL on cattle, even though it is intended for their use. Instead, rats and chickens were fed a protein from oilseed rape - the same protein found in Chardon LL, according to Aventis. Orskov was quick to point out that chickens and rats have one stomach, whereas ruminants such as cows have four. "The scientific case put forward for this GM maize is not adequate," said Orskov. "Chemical analyses of the kind reported cannot identity potential problems. We need to carry out proper, long term tests both on the effect of the maize silage for the microbes in the stomach of the ruminants which digest the feed and on the host animals. This has not been done." Orskov warned Aventis and the government that the UK public could turn their backs on milk and switch to other foods. "This would have a disastrous effect on our dairy industry," he said. "Aventis needs to pay attention to this." "If the GM maize was approved for commercial growing in the UK then people would be justified in turning their backs on consuming milk derived from it. And even if it could be scientifically proven to be harmless, there may still be a problem of consumer perception. The existing hurry seems to be supply pushed rather than demand led." Howard dismissed claims by Aventis that some of the safety tests are not needed because the GM maize is not "materially different" from conventional varieties. After analyzing Aventis' safety data, Howard concluded that there were statistically significant differences in the composition of fat, protein and fibre between the GM maize silage and the non-GM counterparts. Shopping at Marks & Spencer in London. British shoppers are becoming increasingly concerned about what goes in their food, thanks to awareness campaigns launched by environmental groups. (Photo courtesy Marks & Spencer) Statistically significant differences in fat and carbohydrate values of the GM and non-GM grain samples were also discovered. "They [Aventis] have taken a protein from another plant and fed it to rats. I do not feel this can be used as a basis for making judgments about the safety of this GM maize with respect to cattle," said Howard. "What will happen if the maize is fed to cows as part of their diet? This is the question that needs to answered. The experiments carried out by Aventis are just a surrogate for well designed feeding trials, which would be both relevant and informative." Food campaigner for Friends of the Earth Adrian Bebb said the public should be concerned about the scientists' criticisms. "Despite assurances from both government and industry, the reality is that the safety of these GM crops has not been properly tested," said Bebb. "If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable. It is clear that the government has not learnt anything from the BSE fiasco. Surely this GM maize cannot now be added to the national seed list and be sold to farmers." Scientists believe that the UK's bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic was caused by feeding cattle on meat and bone meal supplements that had inadvertently become contaminated with the disease agent. This occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and established the infection in cattle. It was then magnified by the practice of feeding rendered material from slaughtered cattle back to other cattle. Otherwise known as Mad Cow disease, BSE is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cattle. When it occurs in humans it is known as Creutzfelt-Jakob disease. UK scientists suggest that a new form of Creutzfelt-Jakob disease may be caused by human exposure to BSE. Concern over food contamination has been great enough to topple governments, as Belgium's governing coalition found to its cost in 1999. Contaminated animal feed was blamed for causing dangerously high levels of the cancer causing chemical dioxin in Belgian chicken, beef, pork, eggs, milk and byproducts. Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne. (Photo courtesy European Commission) Worse, the Belgian government was said to have known about the contamination but withheld the information from the public and the European Union. In polls leading up to the June 1999 election, as many as one in every three Belgians said they planned to switch their voting intentions as a result of the food scandal. Today in the Belgian capital Brussels, the European Commission proposed to exclude condemned animal material from the feed chain as part of the White Paper on Food Safety. The regulation would prohibit the recycling of fallen stock and condemned animal material in animal feed. The only animal material allowed to be used for the production of animal feed would then be material derived from animals declared fit for human consumption following veterinary inspection. The commission, the executive arm of the 15 member European Union, said the proposal was a major step towards preventing feed borne food crises such as BSE and dioxin contamination. "The fundamental objective of this proposal is to revamp veterinary legislation on animal by products so that it lives up to the highest standard of human and animal health protection," said David Byrne, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. "Any contamination of animal feed, whether with BSE, dioxins or some other contaminants, ultimately is a threat to the safety of the food that ends up on the consumer's table. In the White Paper on Food Safety we recognized that food safety means safety at every link of the production chain, from the farm to the fork."