Activists concerned over GM crop safety

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, March 26: Civil society groups concerned about the safety of genetically modified food crops feel that the companies involved in it have dubious track records of concealing safety data on GM crops.

National Campaign for People’s Right to Information member Nikhi Dey said, "It is crucial that the safety of people is kept at the forefront of any new crops which can affect the lives of a billion-plus country."

Civil society groups pointed out that Monsanto, a leading company in genetically engineered crops, has a dubious track record.

In March 2007, the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology analysed results of safety tests submitted by Monsanto to the European Food Safety Commission on its GE corn.

In the laboratory trials, informed Jai Krishna, a Greenpeace campaigner, rats, fed with GE corn produced by Monsanto, showed signs of toxicity in kidney and liver.

This finding was suppressed by Monsanto, he said.

It was found that Monsanto was using inappropriate statistical methods intentionally to arrive at favourable conclusions.

In France, as recently as February 2008, the French Parliament approved a presidential decree that revoked permission to the only GE corn that had been allowed so far in that country, making Franch GE-free.