(Reuters) — Global biotech crop developers are spreading the word that science is solidly on their side when it comes to the safety of their genetically modified grain.
The message of “settled” science has become the rallying cry for defenders of genetic modification as they push back against consumers, environmentalists and lawmakers who want the crops labelled, restricted or banned.
“We believe the science is settled,” said Andrew LaVigne, chief executive officer of the American Seed Trade Association.
However, critics of the products say that is not the last word on the issue.
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Some international scientists are challenging the assertion and say many scientific studies show concerns with crops whose DNA has been spliced in ways not seen in nature.
A group with backing from institutions in Russia, the United States and Europe recently said it would undertake the longest, largest and most definitive study of GMOs to try to settle the debate once and for all.
The US$25 million study of 6,000 rats to be fed a GMO corn diet is designed as an independent examination of the health impacts of GM corn and the herbicide used on it. The research is to be done in Russia and Western Europe over two to three years.
“The science on these GMOs is not settled by a long shot,” said Bruce Blumberg, an endocrinology expert at the University of California, Irvine, who sits on the study review board.
“Studies that were done by the manufacturers are the main ones showing safety, and those have an inherent conflict of interest.”
Monsanto, the leading developer of GM crops, has stacks of research underscoring the safety of its products.
Many U.S. university scientists also back the safety of GMOs, as does the U.S. government.
Karen Bart, a spokesperson for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, says “merely a handful of studies” point to health or safety issues, and all have been debunked.
Still, the debate rages on. Some biotech crop critics worry about pesticide residues in GM foods, while others worry about how the crops affect the environment.
“The claim that there is a consensus among scientists that GM food products are safe … is simply a PR campaign sponsored by the industry,” said Dave Schubert of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, Calif.
