Designer genes

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have existed in food only for about the last 20 years, but they already have stirred up quite the controversy over what effects they may have on the health of individuals and the environment.

Kiki Corbin, certified traditional naturopath, pastoral counselor and director of Label GMO Nevada, started Label GMO Nevada in December and has been working to get a label on packaged foods that contain more than 0.9 percent GMOs.

Assemblymember Paul Aizley, District 41, has sponsored a bill, AB330, to get GMOs labeled.

Aizley pointed to the Americans with Disabilities Act and said that labels are required to let consumers know about products that may cause allergies, and it should be the same for products with GMOs.

Thomas Helscher, the executive director of Commercial Acceptance at Monsanto Company, explained the process in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration evaluates the safety of genetically modified crops. This includes a lengthy document “containing data comparing the composition of the GM (genetically modified) plant to the unmodified plant.” The document also includes information on the levels of nutrients and antinutrients “to determine if there are any statistically significant differences between the GM plant and unmodified plant, which would result in any safety concerns” and information about proteins if they are relevant to the crop.

“The FDA reviews this information, consults with the applicant and, if all issues are addressed to their satisfaction, issues a letter of no concern,” Helscher said. “All of the GM crops being grown in the US have completed this evaluation.”

Although Monsanto, one of the main companies producing GMOs, points to many studies done on their products, Corbin questions the reliability of these studies because she said Monsanto has a role in these studies.

“It’s really important to understand that they totally control their seeds,” Corbin said. “They have the right to choose who does their research and who uses their seeds.”

The FDA has labeled GMOs as “generally recognized as safe,” but Corbin believes that this designation was given without sufficient research and was biased by the involvement of Michael Taylor. Taylor has worked for the FDA in different capacities before and after working for the law firm that represented the Monsanto Company. He is said to have been involved in the FDA’s policy statement about GMO in foods, but he is not listed on the document.

Corbin also said that Monsanto Company has complete control over who uses their seeds and forbids use of second-generation seeds that contain their modified genetic material. This means that cross-contamination with neighboring farms using their seeds can cause problems.

“Farmers have always collected their own seeds, and there was no threat of contamination because there was nothing bad out there,” Corbin said. “You can’t have genetically modified food in your organic food by law, which is the first issue. The second issue is that Monsanto can test your corn, find their genes and sue you.”

Corbin stated that despite all the concerns she has about GMOs, she’s only asking for a label on food at this point, which she said 61 countries have done already, including the UK, Germany, Russia and China.