French scientists have revealed that rats fed on GM corn sold by
American firm Monsanto, suffered tumors and other complications
including kidney and liver damage. When testing the firm’s top brand
weed killer the rats showed similar symptoms.
The French government has asked its health and safety agency to
assess the study and had also sent it to the European Union's food
safety agency, Reuters reports. "Based on the conclusion…,
the government will ask the European authorities to take all necessary
measures to protect human and animal health, measures that could go as
far as an emergency suspension of imports of NK603 maize in the European
Union," the French health, environment and farm ministries said in a joint statement.Researchers
from the University of Caen found that rats fed on a diet containing
NK603 – a seed variety made tolerant to amounts of Monsanto's Roundup
weedkiller – or given water mixed with the product, at levels permitted
in the United States – died earlier than those on a standard diet.The
research conducted by Gilles-Eric Seralini and his colleagues, said the
rats suffered mammary tumors, as well as severe liver and kidney
damage. The study was published in the journal of Food and Chemical
Toxicology and presented at a news conference in London.Fifty
percent of male and 70 percent of female rats died prematurely, compared
with only 30 percent and 20 percent in the control group, said the
researchers.Monsanto spokesman, Thomas Helscher, said the company
would review the study thoroughly but stated that other scientific
studies had proved the biotech crops’ safety.Some scientists
however criticized the French researchers’ statistical methods and the
use of a particular type of rat, saying the albino Sprague-Dawley strain
of animal had a tendency to develop cancers.Last Friday France
said it will uphold a ban on genetically modified crops produced by the
American biotech giant Monsanto. The move came as President Francois
Hollande pushed his plan to put the environment back at the top of the
international agenda.


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