PHOENIX, Arizona – So far, so good, say scientists looking for side effects in animals fed genetically modified feed.
Thirty-five feeding trials have found no differences in growth performance or milk production.
Researchers aren’t surprised.
“The presence of these proteins or DNA is not expected based on what we know with our current understanding of digestion and absorption of both DNA and protein,” said Marjorie Faust, an Iowa State University researcher.
GM corn, cotton seed and soybean meal have been fed in trials to catfish, chickens, sheep, swine, beef and dairy cattle.
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No residue found
Faust’s study involved beef and dairy cattle on a 64 percent corn ration for 14 days. No residues were found in tissues or milk in a blind test conducted at the University of Nebraska.
“If something is going to show up in an end consumer product from the feed, it is going to show up quickly in eggs and fairly quickly in milk.”
There is a potential for contamination of samples that give false readings, but overall the grains are ruled safe.
“We are making sure the consumers are comfortable with the technology.”
A special health forum at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Phoenix, held the last week in January, talked about the possible harmful effects from modified grains.
More than half the corn, cotton and soybean acreage in the United States was seeded to genetically altered crops last year.
Most crops have received new genes to make them resistant to herbicides, insects and viruses.
Companies like Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred say they plan to continue working on these crops to create drought-resistant corn and higher-yielding grains.
They are also looking at a feed grain with less bound phosphorus so animals pass fewer phosphates in their waste.
“The promise is immense, providing we can get through some of the bumps in the road,” said Scott Hedderich of Pioneer Hi-Bred.
– DUCKWORTH
