Subject: Genetic Engineering and Your Food

From: [email-masked] (Keith Buscombe)
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 1996 11:09:42 GMT

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  Important Information for your Health
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Institute of Natural Law
Mentmore Towers, Mentmore, Buckinghamshire LU7 0QH  England
Tel: +44 (0)1296-662186    
Press Office: +44 (0)1296-662185    
Fax: +44 (0)1296-662049 
Email: [email-masked]

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CAMPAIGN TO BAN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS
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Seminar
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS - THE DANGERS MAHARISHI'S VEDIC
ENGINEERING - THE SOLUTIONS Monday, 3rd June 1996, 10am-12 noon
Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London, SW1

Topics for discussion

* What is genetically modified food?  * Why is it being produced?  *
What are the dangers?  * Why are governments and regulatory bodies
failing to protect the consumer?  * Why is a total ban on genetically
modified food absolutely vital for health and well-being?  * Why is it
essential that we act now?

In the past few years the transnational biotechnology industry has
genetically modified almost every species of plant and animal from
which we derive our food.  They are now moving quickly to introduce
these new and untested foods into the mainstream of our food supply.
Regulatory agencies in Britain and elsewhere are allowing this to
happen without adequate testing and without proper labelling.  This
presents unprecedented risks for the health and safety of the whole
population.  Already there are numerous instances of death and disease
caused by genetically modified foods, as well as extensive disruption
to the living environment and the entire ecosystem.

What the media said about John Fagan's stand against genetic
engineering

"GENETIC ENGINEERING BREEDS COSTLY PROTEST - In a move that has become
the talk of the scientific community, the 46-year-old molecular
biologist is returning nearly $614,000 in grant money from the
National Institutes of Health....  He is doing so to protest what he
sees as rampant and unwise tinkering with plants and animals and the
release of these novel organisms into the environment."   - The
Washington Post

"A SCIENTIST'S QUALMS - His reasons... tap into a lot of lay people's
as yet unfocused worries about the possibilities that biogenetic
experimentation could unleash."        - International Herald Tribune
(Editorial)

"CANCER RESEARCHER RETURNS GRANT -  Ever since researchers spliced
genes together from different organisms more than 20 years ago,
researchers and ethicist have worried about where genetic engineering
may lead.  But few have gone so far as molecular biologist John
Fagan."             - Science

COPY THE FOLOWING INFORMATION AND GIVE TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

Genetically Engineered Food - A Serious Health Hazard Now Available at
Your Supermarket!

Strange new artificial foods never envisaged by nature are already
appearing in your supermarket. The effects of these foods are as yet
incompletely known and some have already been devastating for health.
In one case in America 37 people died and 1500 were left disabled.
Other products had to be abandoned when they went disastrously wrong.
But you will not know what you are eating because the government has
decided that labelling of genetically modified foods is not necessary.
Your precious right to choose what you and your family eat has been
lost.
What is genetic engineering? Genes are the blueprints for every part
of an organism. Genetic modification is the process of artificially
transferring the information specific to one type of organism into
another; for example from a fish into a tomato, or from an animal into
a plant.

Why do it? Scientists want to transfer desirable qualities from one
organism to  another - for example resistance to a pesticide or to a
pest.

Is it necessary? Enough perfectly good food can be produced without
it. The motives for genetic modification are primarily commercial and
political, without regard to health and nutrition.

What are the dangers? The potential dangers are huge. Existing genetic
structures have evolved over millions of years into an infinitely
complex interconnected  ecosystem. Now scientists are upsetting this
delicate balance with changes which could not happen naturally. This
is being done extremely quickly without proper caution for the
possible consequences.

* Genetic engineering is not the same as cross breeding which has been
practised for many years. It is not an exact science. For example, it
could result in some dangerous organisms becoming resistant to
antibiotics. It could accidentally create new poisons and diseases. It
could result in weeds and insects becoming resistant to pesticides and
herbicides.

* Food comes from nature. If we change the fundamental make-up of a
food, it could cause disease, just as herbicides and pesticides were
found to in the past. Genetically modified foods do not have to be
tested before they are sold in the shops.

* Plants designed to be herbicide-resistant will allow higher
concentrations to be sprayed on the crops, so that food contains more
chemicals, and rivers and reservoirs become more polluted.

* Genetic engineering of livestock leads to sick and suffering animals
and to worse quality food. Already, animals are being bred with
diseases for experiments and  a life of suffering. Fish have been
modified to grow larger; cows and goats have been modified to  produce
drugs. Often these animals are sickly and have a shorter life.

* Western agrochemical companies are buying up the seed companies in
developing countries in order to sell genetically modified seed,
thereby jeopardising crop bio-diversity through loss of traditional
seeds.

* Biological pollution may be the greatest danger from genetic
engineering.
New living organisms, bacteria and viruses will be released to
reproduce,
migrate and mutate. They will pass on their new characteristics to
other organisms and can never be recalled or contained. This is
inviting disastrous ecological disruption.

What is the position now?
Genetically modified foods already available include soya beans (which
are used in 60% of processed foods), tomatoes, yeast, dairy products,
and rape seed oil. But this is just the beginning. In a few years it
may be almost impossible to find natural food.The government is
ignoring the dangers, by failing to support labelling and proper
evaluation of new foods.

Of all the poisonous side-effects of modern technology, genetically
modified organisms are the most dangerous. They are uncontainable and
their effects are irreversible.

The dangers of genetic engineering include poor quality food, sick
animals, more virulent pests and diseases, reduced bio-diversity,
increased pollution of water, food and land, and disruption of the
balance of nature. Already with increasing scientific intervention in
food production, poisonous and unhealthy food is becoming more common.

Nobody knows how many will die from mad cow disease, believed to
result from feeding cattle on scientifically approved but totally
unnatural food. Pesticides, fertilisers, and polluted water and air
are causing cancer, birth defects, falling fertility, salmonella
poisoning, asthma, and leukemia. These are in addition to the well
known pollution threats of radioactive waste, the side-effects of
drugs like thalidomide, the destruction of the ozone layer, and
poisonous materials like asbestos and lead in petrol.

Call for a total ban  on the sale of genetically modified foods. In
the meantime, all food products containing such material should be
clearly labelled so that we can choose what we eat. Protect your
health. Boycott these foods.

What You can do: Make copies of this sheet and distribute it to
friends, family, and colleagues, in schools and colleges, trades
unions, clubs and societies. Alert everyone to the danger. Write to
your MP, the press, to supermarkets, consumer groups etc.

Campaign Against Genetically  Engineered Foods, Natural Law Party,
Mentmore Towers, Bucks, LU7 OQH. Fax 01296-662486.

We must act before it is too late. Most people are unaware of these
dangers.

Genetically modified foods are being introduced without proper
discussion

DANGERS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS
The scientific facts demonstrating that an immediate worldwide ban is
necessary.

Genetically engineered foods containing genes derived from pigs, fish,
insects, viruses, and bacteria are appearing on supermarket shelves,
beginning with tomatoes, corn, soya products, milk products, yeast,
and oils, later extending to replace hundreds of traditional varieties
of fruit and vegetables. The government is permitting their sale
without warning the public, even though many genetics scientists say
that genetically engineered foods will permanently damage your health.

Here's how:
* Unpredictable mutation of the genetic blueprint of life, causing new
diseases and weaknesses. Given the huge complexity of genetic coding,
even in very simple organisms such as bacteria, no one can possibly
predict the effects of introducing new genes into any organism or
plant, nor the extent of health-damaging effects on any person who
eats it.

This happens because:
* the transposed gene will react differently when working within its
new host

* the original genetic intelligence of the host will be disrupted

* the genes of the host and the transposed gene combined together will
have unpredictable effects

*  Unnatural gene transfers from one species to another are dangerous.
Biotechnology companies falsely claim that their manipulations are
similar to natural genetic changes. However the cross-species
transfers that are being made, such as between pigs and plants, or
between fish and tomatoes, would never happen in nature and may allow
diseases and weaknesses to cross species, with effects as disastrous
as those seen in BSE - mad cow disease. The guinea-pig in this risky
experiment is the general public.

*  Health-damaging effects caused by genetic engineering will continue
forever

Biotechnology companies claim their methods are precise and
sophisticated. In fact, there is a random element to their
experimental gene insertion methods. Side effects and accidents are
inevitable, and the risks have been scientifically assessed as
unlimited. Unlike chemical or nuclear contamination, gene pollution
cannot be cleaned up; toxic effects of genetic mistakes will be passed
on to all future generations of a species.

* Genetically engineered products carry more risks than traditional
foods.
Biotechnology companies say that the risks of new genetically
engineered foods are similar to risks posed by all foods, but
experience has shown that the process of genetic engineering is
introducing dangerous new allergens and toxins into foods that were
previously naturally safe.

*  Catastrophic collapse of human physiological balance.
Genetically engineered tryptophan killed 37 people and permanently
disabled 1,500. Inevitably toxic effects will result from other new
foods. Genetic research shows that many diseases have their origin in
tiny imperfections in genetic coding. Tinkering with the genetic code
in any way will upset the delicate balance between our physiology and
the foods that we eat. The genetic structure of plants has been
nourishing mankind for millennia. To change suddenly almost all foods
through irreversible genetic engineering is highly dangerous and
threatens life.

*  Genetically engineered foods are being introduced without
labelling. Biotech companies assert that no labelling is required,
falsely claiming that there is no material difference between
genetically modified foods and their traditional natural counterparts.
In fact, the natural genetic intelligence of foods, built up over
millions of years, is being changed. Governments are siding with
biotech companies, ignoring the rights of consumers to know. Without
labelling, the causes of new diseases will be difficult to trace.
While all foods should be honestly labelled, genetically engineered
foods should be totally banned to protect life.

*  Inadequate government regulation
Biotech companies claim that government regulatory bodies like the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the British Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) will protect consumers. However
DDT, Thalidomide, L-tryptophan, etc. were approved by these regulators
with tragic results. MAFF has already released factually inaccurate
information about genetically engineered foods in its 'foodsense' book
series which give a false impression of safety. US tests found that
80% of supermarket milk contained traces of either medicines, illegal
antibiotics used on farms, or hormones, including genetically
engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). The facts show that
regulators are not protecting the public adequately; nor will
labelling protect the public from dangers - a complete ban on
genetically engineered foods is essential.

*  Ethical issues affecting vegetarians, religious groups, and animal
rights campaigners.
Biotechnology companies claim that animal and plant DNA are similar
and that there is no ethical issue when transferring animal DNA
molecules to plants. However, underlying these genetic methods are
animal* experiments where genetic information unique to animals is
transferred to plants.

*  Genetic transfer across species and competition from new species
damaging the environment.
After introduction in plants, bacteria, insects, or other animals, new
genetic information will cross into related life forms, through
processes such as cross pollination, or displace existing species from
the ecosystem with disastrous effects, as found for example with
genetically modified Klebsiella bacteria.

*  Inadequate safety at research facilities.
UK research institutions have little protection to ensure that
experimental genetically engineered organisms are not escaping. For
example seeds can be blown by the wind over low fences or carried
great distances by birds very quickly. It is not possible for anyone,
any farm, or any country to isolate itself from the disastrous effects
of genetic manipulation. Therefore a total ban on the release of
these organisms is required.

*  Global threat to humanity's food supply.
Giant transnational biotechnology companies already control large
segments of the world's food supply including food patents, seed
companies, and other aspects of the food chain. They are introducing
experimental, untested, genetically engineered products in a dangerous
global experiment. If the intentions of the industry come to fruition,
almost every food we eat will be altered within a few years. This
radical change in humanity's food supply will result in many
unanticipated irreversible problems such as serious food shortages and
wide-scale health threats.

Institute of Natural Law
Mentmore Towers, Mentmore, Buckinghamshire LU7 0QH  England
Tel: +44 (0)1296-662186    
Press Office: +44 (0)1296-662185    
Fax: +44 (0)1296-662049 
Email: [email-masked]