WEIRD DNA FOUND IN ROUNDUP READY SOYBEANS

by Cat Lazaroff

(ENS)-Belgian scientists have found DNA from an unknown sourcein Roundup Ready soybeans, a genetically engineered crop produced byUS-based biotechnology giant Monsanto. The announcement comes as theBush administration places increasing pressure on other nations torelax food safety laws seen as threatening US economic interests. Apeer-reviewed study in the European Journal of Food ResearchTechnology details work by a team of scientists from three Belgianuniversities and research centers. The team stated: “Our resultsestablish that during integration of the insert DNA, severalrearrangements occurred,” the team writes. “The genomic plant DNA atthe pre-integration site may have been rearranged.” This is the secondtime this team of researchers has observed inaccuracies in Monsanto’sdescription of its best selling genetically engineered (GE) soybeans.“The findings clearly establish that the GE soybean that has beenapproved based on Monsanto’s own description of the geneticalterations is not identical to the GE soya sold by the company since1996 worldwide,” said a spokesperson for the environmental groupGreenpeace International. “Monsanto has again been shown to not evenknow the basic genetic information about what is in their GE soya.”This is the first time that a peer reviewed scientific journal haspublished an independent scientific analysis of data submitted by acompany for approval of a GE food product. The announcement comes as acoalition of conservation, consumer and farm groups have contacted USofficials, protesting Bush administration threats to challenge foodsafety laws of other countries as barriers to international trade. Inlight of the new evidence that Monsanto may not be fully aware of whatthese soybeans contain, Greenpeace is calling on countries that haveapproved Roundup Ready soybeans to take immediate steps to review thatapproval. “From a legal point of view, the only adequate reaction isto suspend the approval and to reevaluate the environmental and healthimpacts of the GE soya,” said the Greenpeace spokesman. “This isfundamental: the accurate description of the inserted DNA and thegenetic alterations of the GE soya is the very basis of any furtherrisk assessment.” Greenpeace has published the DNA sequence on itswebsite, and invited the international scientific community to helpidentify its nature and possible consequences. The information is at:www.greenpeace.org/~geneng/highlights/gmo/Monsanto_DNA_MP.htm.