Food from GM Fed Animals Safe to Eat Says Scientific Report

Food products from animals that ate genetically modified (GM) crops do not present a risk to consumers, according to a recent report from the nonprofit consortium of scientists, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST).  The report said that current regulatory processes "have been effective in safeguarding the public health," and suggested ongoing research "to ensure continued safety and nutritive value of feeds in current and future crops derived from modern biotechnology."

"Meat, milk, and eggs produced by farm animals fed biotechnology-derived crops are as wholesome, safe and nutritious as similar products produced by animals fed conventional crops," said John M. Bonner, the CAST's executive vice president.

Richard H. Phipps, chairman of the task force that wrote the paper, said that because of the increased production of GM crops used as feed, "it is essential … to consider the safety of meat, milk and eggs obtained from animals fed crops derived from modern biotechnology."  The task force reviewed scientific data from the late-1990s through last year, including regulatory assessments and the results of farm animal feeding studies.

Center for Food Safety scientist, Doug Gurian-Sherman, says the Center recommends not eating GM food because current safety testing is inadequate.  He also questions CAST’s support for GM food, since the consortium receives some of its funding from the biotech industry.

Bonner disagrees, stating CAST is not indebted to its sponsors, and did not seek approval of the report from any major biotech companies before releasing the report.  “We assemble, interpret and communicate credible science,” he said.

CAST is a consortium of 38 scientific and professional societies, companies, nonprofits, and more than 1,200 individual agricultural experts from around the world.

“Task force: Livestock fed biotech crops OK; Report says consumers face no risks in eating animals' food products,” Amy Lorentzen, Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA)

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Of Interest

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) - a not-for-profit organization that delivers the benefits of new agricultural biotechnologies to the poor in developing countries.

"This report confirms our earlier estimate that somewhere in the world in early June of this year the 1.3 billionth acre of biotech crops was planted since commercial introduction began in 1996," says

Dean Kleckner, who heads the biotech advocacy group Truth about Trade and Technology.  "While the U.S. continues to lead in total biotech crop acreage, it is estimated that biotech crops have been or will be planted in at least 22 countries during calendar year 2006."

According to Kleckner, 145 million acres of biotech crops are planted in 14 countries in the northern hemisphere, and 72 million acres are planted in eight countries in the southern hemisphere.  The largest growth in acres planted will likely occur in Brazil, as more varieties of biotech soybeans become available.

“USDA says biotech plantings increased 9.5% over last year; National Agricultural Statistics Service,” Food Chemical News