Mary Wilson
Well-known member
(What are we eating... I have an article similar to this one, framed on my wall and just couldn't resist posting this one)
JUNE 30, 2005
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quietly approved controversial proposals by genetic engineering firm Ventria Biosciences to grow rice containing human genes on 270 acres in North Carolina and Missouri. The rice is engineered to produce two pharmaceutical compounds, lactoferrin and lysozyme, derived from human genes. When grown in rice, the compounds present unresolved toxicity and allergenic risks and have not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
“With this approval, USDA has signaled that it thinks it’s okay to grow drug-producing crops near food crops of the same type, despite the threat of contamination,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, senior scientist at Center for Food Safety. “There have already been numerous examples of contamination of food crops by biotech crops, including pharmaceutical crops. Over time, such contamination of our food is virtually inevitable under the conditions allowed by USDA.”
USDA granted permits for North Carolina field tests totaling 70 acres, in Washington County near the town of Plymouth. The North Carolina field test approvals come over objections from numerous stakeholders, including environmental and consumer groups, as well as the Food Products Association. Public comments ran 320 to 1 against approval of the North Carolina site. ...
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org...genes-on-270-acres-in-north-carolina-missouri
JUNE 30, 2005
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quietly approved controversial proposals by genetic engineering firm Ventria Biosciences to grow rice containing human genes on 270 acres in North Carolina and Missouri. The rice is engineered to produce two pharmaceutical compounds, lactoferrin and lysozyme, derived from human genes. When grown in rice, the compounds present unresolved toxicity and allergenic risks and have not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
“With this approval, USDA has signaled that it thinks it’s okay to grow drug-producing crops near food crops of the same type, despite the threat of contamination,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, senior scientist at Center for Food Safety. “There have already been numerous examples of contamination of food crops by biotech crops, including pharmaceutical crops. Over time, such contamination of our food is virtually inevitable under the conditions allowed by USDA.”
USDA granted permits for North Carolina field tests totaling 70 acres, in Washington County near the town of Plymouth. The North Carolina field test approvals come over objections from numerous stakeholders, including environmental and consumer groups, as well as the Food Products Association. Public comments ran 320 to 1 against approval of the North Carolina site. ...
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org...genes-on-270-acres-in-north-carolina-missouri