WECF greatly worried by publication on cancer effect of GMOs

“Governments have to guarantee our right to live in a healthy environment”

24.09.2012 | WECF

Utrecht 24 September 2012 - “The publication this week on the cancer effects of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) has greatly worried us. What is the exposure of children and vulnerable groups, and how many might develop cancer including breast cancer as a result of GMOs in their food” says Sascha Gabizon, director of WECF Women in Europe for a Common Future, an international network of women and environment organisations working for a healthy environment in over 50 countries worldwide.

The publication in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal by Professor Gilles-Eric Séralini on the toxicity of GMOs[1] is based for the first time on a 2-year monitoring of the health effects of GMOs, – the average life-time of a rat – and not the usual 90 days only. “The fact that our governments have not believed it necessary to require long-term health impact studies from GMOs is unacceptable, it's the task of our governments to protect public health, and to apply the precautionary principle when there is indication of possible harm” comments Anne Barre of WECF France.

The research by Prof. Séralini showed that rats fed with the genetically modified corn (NK603) produced by Monsanto had a higher cancer risk and died premature. The females developed more breastcancer, the males more often skincancer. The research by Prof. Séralini has already lead to sceptical reactions, some commenting that if the results were true, then Americans should be dying like flies. Unfortunately this might become the case, and not only in the USA, but particularly in developing countries where GMO multinationals like Monsanto are already spreading GMO seeds and their accompanying harmful pesticide “Round-Up” without legal restrictions or guarantees. Breastcancer continues to be on the increase in most countries worldwide, especially in the USA and Western Europe. The NK603 corn is forbidden to be grown in the EU but is imported into the EU in the form of food for human consumption and animal feed. The greatest threat of all is that once GMOs are used outside of laboratories, there is no way of halting them, they will continue to contaminate other plant cultures.

Corinne Lepage1 European Parliamentarian, and former minister of Environment of France, commented that this is a health scandal of greatest scale, that GMO multi-nationals are moving against the interests of our states, and that now it is time that we have to call to order our authorities and our agencies in charge of monitoring and assessing environmental health, – in particular the EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) – which have not been fulfilling their duties. Corinne Lepage even calls for a “Genetic Transparency Watch”[2].

“As WECF we demand of our governments to implement the precautionary principle and call for the immediate halt to any GMO use and sales and imports of GMO containing products. Governments have to guarantee our right to live in a healthy environment” concludes Sascha Gabizon.

You can also watch informative videos about the study in English, French, and Portuguese.

For further information, contact:
Chantal Van den Bossche, WECF press, at chantal.vandenbossche@wecf.eu, mob: 0031-6.2812 9992

1 La Verité sur les OGM, c’est notre Affaire! Corinne Lepage, Editions Charles Leopold Mayer (on sale 21 of September)
2 Le Nouvel Observateur, 20 September 2012, Révélations, l’étude qui change tout, Oui, les OGM sont des poisons, Guillaume Malaurie