Daily Express (UK) 7/Sept/99
New GM warning over danger chemicals entering food chain
BY JOHN INGHAM ENVIRONMENT EDITOR
A TOP food scientist yesterday plunged the safety of genetically-modified
food into fresh doubt.
He warned that current tests "may be insufficient" for new crops in
development. Dr Andrew Chesson told the Royal Society of Chemistry that
tampering with the genetic make-up of crops could produce new plant
chemicals which may not be spotted by traditional checks.
His strong comments are surprising because he played a leading role in
discrediting the research of former colleague Dr Arpad Pusztai who sparked
a public scare about GM food.
Dr Chesson raised particular concern about crops such as GM oilseed rape
which are grown for industrial oils. The crushed seeds are fed to animals
and any dangerous chemicals could therefore enter the human food chain.
He said increased safeguards and new methods of disposing of these seeds
may have to be introduced. Dr Chesson, of Aberdeen's internationally-
famous Rowett Research Institute, told delegates: "No technology is
risk-free. We need to be looking to the future."
Dr Pusztai, a Hungarian-born world authority on plant research, lost his
job at the Rowett after claiming that rats fed GM potatoes suffered ill
health. The claims embroiled the Rowett in worldwide controversy.
Dr Chesson chaired the audit committee which ruled there was no evidence to
support Dr Pusztai's claims. Dr Chesson is a member of the government's
Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding Stuffs which holds its first meeting
later this month.
Last night Dr Pusztai, who stands by his findings, welcomed Dr Chesson's
"conversion". He said: "Personal considerations should not really matter.
It is much better that people who are obviously in a position of power like
Dr Chesson have come to realise that you cannot take this technology on
trust.
"But I do not think he has travelled far enough. He talks about improving
analytical procedures but if you do not know what you are looking for, you
are most unlikely to find it."
Pressure group Friends of the Earth said that Dr Chesson had at last
"echoed" their message. Spokesman Adrian Bebb said: "We welcome Dr
Chesson's comments. It is quite clear that GM foods are being forced into
the food chain without adequate safety tests. We welcome reputable
scientists backing our concerns."
Greenpeace last night called for GM ingredients to be removed from the food
chain because of the risks detailed by Dr Chesson.
Earlier this year he told MPs he was satisfied by the safety checks on GM
crops currently being eaten in Britain. But his comments in Edinburgh
yesterday raise doubts about safety checks on all GM crops.
Predicting a rapid expansion of the GM crops grown commercially he said
thought should be given now to new procedures that will have to be adopted
for "better safety scrutiny."He explained that when a plant is genetically
modified, it may cause unexpected changes to its metabolism leading to new
or differing levels of chemicals being produced. And, he said, these
chemicals may pose a risk to human health. He called for new, more
broad-ranging analytical techniques that do not rely on assumptions as to
what is dangerous.
© Express Newspapers Ltd