NK603 - MON810 Study on Mice

An Austrian study has just been published. It is a laboratory report, of the same kind as those provided by Monsanto to the States, with a view to obtain GMO authorizations. It corresponds to the most detailed study ever conducted in the world on laboratory animals, i.e., mice eating commercialized GMOs over several generations. As this is sometimes done to study the secondary effects of pesticides and medicines before they are commercialized.

Monsanto reports that are much less detailed have been approved by numerous governments worldwide. In general they do not mention animal reproduction, and there are two types of experiments conducted: multi-generations (MGS), multi-litters (RACB) for the same parents. The second experiment seems to highlight more significant differences, but the first quoted sentence bears on MGS: “The production parameters average litter size and weight as well as number of weaned pups were in favour of the ISO group”. (That is to say in disfavour of the group treated with GMOs: ISO is the real control group, REF is another control with a non-transgenic maize which differs noticeably from the control and is not equivalent in substance). Such differences are also observed with the multi-litter experiment and they become statistically significant for the 3rd and 4th litters." There are also some effects on the kidneys as highlighted by CRIIGEN with MON863.

However this study was much debated, specifically since there were some calculation errors apparently and the authors went back on some of their results. It has now become quite difficult to untangle truthfulness and relevance in the details of that type of study, which nonetheless remains original and unique. Quoting this study is not even allowed! In this case,for a scientific study which is not published, nor peer-reviewed in a scientific journal with a reading panel, the limits are reached. Here is the very reason why the experimental references of CRIIGEN are always published. 

Also, a long-term experiment on adults could be found in this study. This confirms CRIIGEN’s suspicions of secondary effects with all commercialized GMOs.

Read the report

GM Bt Corn MON 810 Has Unexpected Genetic Characteristics

Prof Buiatti Marcello and his team from the University of Florence, Italy, just published in a prestigious international journal (Rosati et al. Plant. Mol. Biol. 2008) surprising results that call into question the genetic characterisation of GM Bt corn MON 810. Prof Buiatti is a member of the scientific council CRIIGEN and also presented his findings at a meeting of the Society of Biology in Paris recently, where other scientific studies from CRIIGEN were revealed.

Reference of the Article: Plant Mol. Biol. (2008) http://www.springerlink.com/ DOI 10.1007/s11103-008-9315-7  

Press Release of Characterisation of the 3' transgene insertion site and derived mRNAs in MON810 Yieldgard maize.

"Controversial effects on health reported after subchronic toxicity test: 90-day study feeding rats" By GE Séralini, D. Cellier & J. Spiroux de Vendômois

NK 603 is a GM maize of the first generation, the first category of GMOs (the most important in the world, almost three-quarters of them) which were introduced onto the market. It is genetically modified to tolerate a herbicide. The first generation of GMOs in commercial use on open fields since 1995 either tolerate a pesticide in the first category (71% of GMOs - like Monsanto's RR soya or NK 603 maize - for instance tolerate primarily the Roundup herbicide) or produce a pesticide in the second category (generally, with artificial Bt toxins as in MON 810 or MON 863 maize, around one kg per ha; these different insecticides are produced in 18 % of GMOs). The second generation of GMOs (11% of total) developed as from 1998 do both: they produce and tolerate a pesticide...

Report in pdf