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Genetically Engineered Crop Gene Found for First Time

in Bacteria in Human

Digestive System; Concerns About Antibiotic Resistance

Raised

 

WASHINGTON, July 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- New evidence

from British

scientists

raises serious questions about the safety of

genetically engineered

foods. A

study published by the British Food Safety Standards

Agency (FAS)

showed for

the first time that a gene inserted in a genetically

engineered crop

has

found its way into bacteria in the human gut. Many

engineered crops

have

antibiotic resistance marker genes inserted in them,

and there are

fears

that if material from these marker genes passes into

humans, people's

ability to fight infections may be reduced.

 

Researchers fed a single meal of a hamburger and a

milk shake that both

contained genetically engineered soy to study

participants. According

to the

FSA gene uptake study, entitled " Evaluating the Risks

Associated with

Using

GMOs in Human Foods " (pp. 22-27,

 

http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/science/sciencetopics/gmfoods/gm_reports),

an herbicide resistance gene from a Roundup Ready

variety of engineered

soy

was found by researchers in bacteria from the small

intestines of three

out

of seven study participants (pg. 24).

 

Adrian Bebb, GM food campaigner for Friends of the

Earth UK said, " This

research should set alarm bells ringing. Industry

scientists and

government

advisors have always played down the risk of this ever

happening, but

the

first time they looked for it they found it. "

 

The biotech industry has long maintained that DNA is

destroyed during

digestion and that there are barriers to incorporation

of genetically

engineered crop genes by bacteria. According to a

March 4, 2001 news

release

by the multi-million dollar biotech lobbying

initiative called the

Council

for Biotechnology Information, " the DNA contained in

food -- including

the

antibiotic-resistance gene -- is broken down in the

human gut during

the

digestive process. "

(http://www.whybiotech.com/index.asp?trackid=7 & id=1726#1726).

However,

these

assertions crumbled under the FSA findings, which

showed that

engineered

crop genes can survive digestion long enough to be

incorporated by

bacteria.

 

The new evidence raises safety concerns for people

eating genetically

engineered foods. In particular, if antibiotic

resistance genes used in

some

varieties of engineered crops are being picked up by

bacteria in the

intestines of people eating engineered foods, this

could increase

bacterial

resistance to life-saving antibiotics.

 

According to Michael Antoniou, a senior lecturer in

molecular genetics

at

King's College Medical School in London, the study

" suggests that you

can

get antibiotic marker genes spreading amongst the

bacterial population

within the intestine which could compromise future

antibiotic use. They

have

shown that this can happen even at very low levels

after just one

meal. "

 

Given the research results, Friends of the Earth is

calling for the

immediate withdrawal of genetically engineered crops

containing

antibiotic

resistance markers from the market. The organization

also calls for

further

research into the effects of gene transfer to

bacteria.

 

In May 1999, the British Medical Association also

called for a ban of

crops

with antibiotic resistance marker genes stating,

" There should be a ban

on

the use of antibiotic resistance marker genes in GM

food, as the risk

to

human health from antibiotic resistance developing in

micro-organisms

is one

of the major public health threats that will be faced

in the 21st

Century. "

 

Contact: Mark Helm, 202-783-7400

Adrian Bebb (UK), 44-771-284-3211

both of Friends of the Earth