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food as a minor ingredient is labelled with the source of _ was genetically expressed, it showed deleterious health the foreign genes. How, then, can consumers identify effects. potential allergens? The fall-out was huge, even before their paper was Already, a project aimed at enhancing the nutritional published. Critics slammed Pusztai and Evans, declaring quality of soybeans (Glycine max), by introducing heir research flawed and not holding up to scientific methionine-rich 2S albumin from the Brazil nut — scrutiny (in spite of the fact that their paper was accepted (Bertholletia excelsa) into transgenic soybeans, has been or publishing in The Lancet). With no consideration for shelved for fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions. he authors’ explanations, they said that the gene A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower proved that individuals who were allergic to Brazil nuts ectin, a substance believed to be toxic to mammals— suffered the same allergic reaction when they consumed __ although Pusztai had previously shown it to not be toxic GM soybeans containing the Brazil nut genes.” o mammals. As the last straw, Pusztai's research papers What's more, it is pertinent to mention that this and data were seized and he was removed from service, instance of genetic engineering was desired to be taken aving worked at the RRI for 36 years, seemingly for up to enhance the nutritional status of soybeans by aving spoken out about these findings on the effects of making up for the relative deficiency of methionine inthe | GM food. The findings ran counter to the prevailing protein fraction of the seeds. However, belief that GM foods are safe and the in a study published in The Journal of testing procedures to establish their Medicinal Foods, Dr Marc Lappé et al. safety are adequate. ound that GM soybeans contained In an interview in 2000, Dr Pusztai ewer phyto-oestrogens than natura explained the need for extensive and 7 . . j j sscociated with protection againet | What emerges is | one ie dont eat snowstop, not eart disease, osteoporosis (bone loss that there is a do we eat Bacillus thuringiensis [Bt] toxin. and breast cancer. The GM soybeans hilt We now have genetically modified Bt were found to be 12-14 per cent lower strong possibility corn and Bt potatoes. We don't eat a in phyto-oestrogens compared with that introducing a lot of these things in GM foods that are heir unmodified counterparts—a : . now being sold. So it should be in our significant nutritional difference. And foreign gene Into interest to get [them] properly yet, foods that have been engineered a food plant may tested."” or a longer shelf-life may exhibi When Pusztai and Evans tested the counterfeit freshness. That is, create a new ectin in the diet, they used it in as genetic engineering may mislead allergen or cause igh a concentration as a consumers into buying fruits and ll Q 9 milligram per gram level and it did vegetables that have the ana ergic reaction not do any harm. But in the case in susceptible individuals. appearance of ripeness without of genetic modification, they he accompanying nutritional ound problems at a quality or flavour.* concentration of a hundredfold An article published in The Lancet ess. Summing up the message examined the effects of GM he study sends out, Pusztai said potatoes on the digestive tract in in the same interview: “Our rats.” This study, conducted by Dr studies clearly show that the Arpad Pusztai—a world authority effects were not due to that little on plant proteins, called lectins, gene expression, but it depended at the Rowett Research Institute (RRI) in Scotland—and on the way the gene had been inserted into the potato is colleague Dr Stanley Ewen over 30 months between = genome and what it did to the potato genome. That is 995 and 1998, involved the use of GM potatoes _ why industry and politicians reacted so strongly against expressing the gene for snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis = me."*! agglutinin, or GNA) as feed for the rats. (Incidentally, snowdrop has a small white flower that hangs from a __ Problems with genetic manipulation of animals bulb and blooms in spring, while lectin is a protein What is a pity is that the industry propagating genetic normally obtained from plants that have antibody manipulations is very powerful and is going full steam characteristics.) They found that the feeding impaired ahead with its work. Genetic engineering is already by no the rats’ digestive system. Pusztai was surprised, since in means limited to the world of plants. Research is six years of prior work with snowdrop lectin he had —_ underway on introducing genes from organisms which observed no toxic effect when it was used as a protein supplement mixed in with the feed. Yet when the lectin Continued on page 80 What emerges is that there is a strong possibility that introducing a foreign gene into a food plant may allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. Problems with genetic manipulation of animals What is a pity is that the industry propagating genetic manipulations is very powerful and is going full steam ahead with its work. Genetic engineering is already by no means limited to the world of plants. Research is underway on introducing genes from organisms which NEXUS « 25 create a new Continued on page 80 DECEMBER 2009 - JANUARY 2010 www.nexusmagazine.com