I just wanted to share this with all of you. I know, a long while back there had been a big disscussion about genetically engineered foods......
Allergy response was a big concern.
This is what the Centers for Disease Control have found.....
News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Health Freedom Fighters,
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released their report to the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on StarLink corn.
Various news agencies reported that the CDC found no evidence linking
genetically engineered StarLink corn to allergic reactions claimed by
dozens of Americans.
While the generalization the news media made on the CDC report is
correct, it is worthwhile to read the actual report to determine the
true position of the CDC.
What the CDC report to the FDA states is, "Although our results do not
provide any evidence that the allergic reactions experienced by the
people who filed AER's (adverse event reports) were associated with
hypersensitivity to Cry9c (StarLink) protein, we cannot completely rule
out this possibility, in part because food allergies may occur without
detectable serum IgE to the allergens."
The CDC report went on to say "Evaluating the public health indications
from the inadvertent introduction of StarLink corn into the human food
supply posed a challenging retrospective task."
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods hopes the FDA will
pay close attention to the next line in the CDC report. It states, "The
difficulties of this investigation highlight the importance of
evaluating the allergic potential of genetically modified foods before
they become available for human consumption."
Currently there are no in-depth human safety studies done on genetically
engineered foods before they are permitted to be fed on a mass scale to
the public. The FDA is not adequately protecting the health of the
American public with their current regulatory scheme regarding
genetically engineered foods.
Remember this very important point: It was NOT the FDA who discovered
that the Cry9c protein in StarLink corn is a potential allergen. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found this problem. But the FDA is
the agency that has the responsibility for protecting human health when
it involves food safety issues. The EPA was simply reviewing the
possible effects StarLink corn would have on the environment because it
contains a built-in pesticide.
The American public is fortunate that the EPA uncovered the potential
allergenic properties of StarLink corn while conducting their
environmental review. The EPA determined that at human body temperature
and digestive acid levels, the Cry9c protein in StarLink corn may not be
adequately digested in humans. This lack of digestibility could in turn
trigger allergic reactions. That is why the StarLink corn was only
approved for animal feed and not for human consumption.
What other genetically engineered foods now on the market have escaped
adequate review by the FDA? Without the FDA "evaluating the allergic
potential of genetically modified foods before they become available for
human consumption" as stated by the CDC, these experimental foods could
potentially cause health problems in a percentage of the people who
consume them.
Did StarLink corn cause allergic reactions in some of the dozens of
people who filed adverse event reports? As the CDC report states, "we
cannot completely rule out this possibility."
One thing is for certain: Without labels on genetically engineered
foods, those of us who do not want to take part in this giant experiment
on the human food supply do not have the right to avoid it. At the very
least, labels should be required on genetically engineered foods.
Posted below are two articles. The first is from Reuters and the second
article is from Associated Press.
If you want to read the actual report from the CDC to the FDA titled
"Investigation of Human Health Effects Associated with Potential
Exposure to Genetically Modified Corn," it can be found as an Adobe
Acrobat document at the following web address:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/Cry9cReport/cry9creport.pdf
CBS did a report on their Evening News on Wednesday. You can read and
play the video of their report at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,296423-412,00.shtml
Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: mailto:label@thecampaign.org
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org
Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign
for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass
legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered
foods in the United States."
***************************************************************
CDC says StarLink corn did not cause human allergies
By Randy Fabi
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
said on Wednesday it found no evidence linking an unapproved
bioengineered corn variety to allergic reactions reported by dozens of
American consumers last fall.
StarLink, made by the Franco-German pharmaceutical group Aventis
(AVEP.PA), was barred by U.S. regulators for human use because of
concerns it might trigger allergic reactions such as rashes, diarrhea or
breathing problems. StarLink's key component, the Cry9c protein,
protects young plants from destructive pests.
"CDC's investigation did not find any evidence that hypersensitivity to
the Cry9c protein was responsible for the self-reported allergic
responses that people experienced last fall," the CDC said on its
website.
An environmental group last September discovered the gene-altered corn
in taco shells, chips and other products containing corn flour
triggering the eventual recall of more than 300 U.S. foods.
Some 48 people reported experiencing allergic reactions linked to
StarLink-tainted food products between July 1 and November 30, 2000.
Following a request from the Food and Drug Administration, CDC
scientists collected blood specimens from each person to evaluate their
sensitivity to StarLink's Cry9c protein.
"Although the study participants may have experienced allergic reaction,
based upon the results of the study alone, we cannot conclude that a
reported illness was a Cry9c allergic reaction," CDC said.
CDC said the results were confirmed by an independent laboratory.
TOLERANCE FOR STARLINK
StarLink was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1998
only for animal feed and industrial use. Aventis has always maintained
that any amount of StarLink and its Cry9c protein were safe for humans.
An Aventis spokesperson declined to comment on the results of the CDC's
investigation, but said the presence of StarLink in the corn market was
approaching zero.
The EPA is currently deciding on whether to approve the company's
petition to establish a "tolerance level" of 20 parts per billion for
StarLink in shipments arriving at corn mills for food processing.
Currently, the agency has a zero tolerance for the biotech corn variety
in human food.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization, representing more than 950
biotech companies, said it was pleased with the CDC's investigation, but
not surprised that StarLink corn was safe.
"This news should be reassuring to consumers and our export partners who
have had questions regarding the corn's safety," the industry group said
in a statement.
The results of the CDC investigation should also be good news to
American farmers trying to win back customers overseas who shunned U.S.
corn exports because of fears that StarLink could be commingled within
its shipments.
Last autumn's StarLink uproar hurt American corn exports to Japan, the
biggest buyer of U.S. corn, which insisted on strict testing to make
sure no shipments was tainted.
Last March the USDA found that less than 1 percent of U.S. corn seed for
this year's spring planting was tainted with traces of StarLink's Cry9c
protein.
20:47 06-13-01
***************************************************************
Biotech Corn Didn't Cause Reactions
By Philip Brasher
AP Farm Writer
Wednesday, June 13, 2001; 7:17 PM
WASHINGTON –– Biotech corn that spawned nationwide food
recalls last
fall didn't cause the allergic reactions that people reported after
finding out about the grain, the government said Wednesday.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its
investigation of the complaints "did not find any evidence that
hypersensitivity" to a special protein in StarLink corn caused the
reactions.
Blood samples were taken from 17 people and tested for sensitivity to
the protein, known as Cry9C.
StarLink corn was never approved for human consumption because of
questions about whether it was an allergen.
The Cry9C protein breaks down slowly in the digestive system, an
indication that it might induce allergic reactions. However, scientists
say people would have to be exposed to the protein repeatedly to become
sensitive to it.
Critics of biotechnology say the CDC investigation was too limited to
conclude that the corn is safe. "This is a small piece of evidence,"
said Rebecca Goldburg, senior scientist with Environment Defense, an
advocacy group. "It's far from being definitive."
StarLink is one of several types of corn that have been genetically
engineered to produce its own pesticide.
StarLink was withdrawn from the market last year but not before the
grain was found contaminating a significant portion of the nation's corn
supply.
Discovery of the corn in taco shells last fall led to nationwide recalls
of corn products, and more recalls may be necessary unless the
Environmental Protection Agency agrees to allow a minimal amount of the
corn in food, according to the corn's developer Aventis CropScience.
Aventis wants the EPA to set a maximum level for the biotech grain of 20
parts per billion – the equivalent of one StarLink kernel in every
800
kernels of corn. The EPA is expected to consider the CDC report in
making its decision.
After the CDC began investigating complaints about StarLink, the Food
and Drug Administration developed a blood test that could tell whether
someone was allergic to the Cry9C protein.
The 17 people who gave blood samples to CDC were among 24 people
interviewed by investigators after reporting complaints.
Keith Finger, a Florida optometrist who was included in the CDC study,
said he suffered a severe allergy attack last September shortly before
the first recall of a StarLink-tainted product, Taco Bell-brand taco
shells.
Finger said he had a meal containing corn ingredients shortly before the
attack, which included severe stomach cramps and swelling of his throat.
He has since eaten the same products, which included a tortilla made
with corn starch, without a reaction, he said.
CDC's findings should give EPA "the final piece of information" it needs
to approve the Aventis request, said Val Giddings, a spokesman for the
Biotechnology Industry Organization.
Allergy response was a big concern.
This is what the Centers for Disease Control have found.....
News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Health Freedom Fighters,
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released their report to the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on StarLink corn.
Various news agencies reported that the CDC found no evidence linking
genetically engineered StarLink corn to allergic reactions claimed by
dozens of Americans.
While the generalization the news media made on the CDC report is
correct, it is worthwhile to read the actual report to determine the
true position of the CDC.
What the CDC report to the FDA states is, "Although our results do not
provide any evidence that the allergic reactions experienced by the
people who filed AER's (adverse event reports) were associated with
hypersensitivity to Cry9c (StarLink) protein, we cannot completely rule
out this possibility, in part because food allergies may occur without
detectable serum IgE to the allergens."
The CDC report went on to say "Evaluating the public health indications
from the inadvertent introduction of StarLink corn into the human food
supply posed a challenging retrospective task."
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods hopes the FDA will
pay close attention to the next line in the CDC report. It states, "The
difficulties of this investigation highlight the importance of
evaluating the allergic potential of genetically modified foods before
they become available for human consumption."
Currently there are no in-depth human safety studies done on genetically
engineered foods before they are permitted to be fed on a mass scale to
the public. The FDA is not adequately protecting the health of the
American public with their current regulatory scheme regarding
genetically engineered foods.
Remember this very important point: It was NOT the FDA who discovered
that the Cry9c protein in StarLink corn is a potential allergen. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found this problem. But the FDA is
the agency that has the responsibility for protecting human health when
it involves food safety issues. The EPA was simply reviewing the
possible effects StarLink corn would have on the environment because it
contains a built-in pesticide.
The American public is fortunate that the EPA uncovered the potential
allergenic properties of StarLink corn while conducting their
environmental review. The EPA determined that at human body temperature
and digestive acid levels, the Cry9c protein in StarLink corn may not be
adequately digested in humans. This lack of digestibility could in turn
trigger allergic reactions. That is why the StarLink corn was only
approved for animal feed and not for human consumption.
What other genetically engineered foods now on the market have escaped
adequate review by the FDA? Without the FDA "evaluating the allergic
potential of genetically modified foods before they become available for
human consumption" as stated by the CDC, these experimental foods could
potentially cause health problems in a percentage of the people who
consume them.
Did StarLink corn cause allergic reactions in some of the dozens of
people who filed adverse event reports? As the CDC report states, "we
cannot completely rule out this possibility."
One thing is for certain: Without labels on genetically engineered
foods, those of us who do not want to take part in this giant experiment
on the human food supply do not have the right to avoid it. At the very
least, labels should be required on genetically engineered foods.
Posted below are two articles. The first is from Reuters and the second
article is from Associated Press.
If you want to read the actual report from the CDC to the FDA titled
"Investigation of Human Health Effects Associated with Potential
Exposure to Genetically Modified Corn," it can be found as an Adobe
Acrobat document at the following web address:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/Cry9cReport/cry9creport.pdf
CBS did a report on their Evening News on Wednesday. You can read and
play the video of their report at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,296423-412,00.shtml
Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: mailto:label@thecampaign.org
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org
Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign
for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass
legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered
foods in the United States."
***************************************************************
CDC says StarLink corn did not cause human allergies
By Randy Fabi
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
said on Wednesday it found no evidence linking an unapproved
bioengineered corn variety to allergic reactions reported by dozens of
American consumers last fall.
StarLink, made by the Franco-German pharmaceutical group Aventis
(AVEP.PA), was barred by U.S. regulators for human use because of
concerns it might trigger allergic reactions such as rashes, diarrhea or
breathing problems. StarLink's key component, the Cry9c protein,
protects young plants from destructive pests.
"CDC's investigation did not find any evidence that hypersensitivity to
the Cry9c protein was responsible for the self-reported allergic
responses that people experienced last fall," the CDC said on its
website.
An environmental group last September discovered the gene-altered corn
in taco shells, chips and other products containing corn flour
triggering the eventual recall of more than 300 U.S. foods.
Some 48 people reported experiencing allergic reactions linked to
StarLink-tainted food products between July 1 and November 30, 2000.
Following a request from the Food and Drug Administration, CDC
scientists collected blood specimens from each person to evaluate their
sensitivity to StarLink's Cry9c protein.
"Although the study participants may have experienced allergic reaction,
based upon the results of the study alone, we cannot conclude that a
reported illness was a Cry9c allergic reaction," CDC said.
CDC said the results were confirmed by an independent laboratory.
TOLERANCE FOR STARLINK
StarLink was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1998
only for animal feed and industrial use. Aventis has always maintained
that any amount of StarLink and its Cry9c protein were safe for humans.
An Aventis spokesperson declined to comment on the results of the CDC's
investigation, but said the presence of StarLink in the corn market was
approaching zero.
The EPA is currently deciding on whether to approve the company's
petition to establish a "tolerance level" of 20 parts per billion for
StarLink in shipments arriving at corn mills for food processing.
Currently, the agency has a zero tolerance for the biotech corn variety
in human food.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization, representing more than 950
biotech companies, said it was pleased with the CDC's investigation, but
not surprised that StarLink corn was safe.
"This news should be reassuring to consumers and our export partners who
have had questions regarding the corn's safety," the industry group said
in a statement.
The results of the CDC investigation should also be good news to
American farmers trying to win back customers overseas who shunned U.S.
corn exports because of fears that StarLink could be commingled within
its shipments.
Last autumn's StarLink uproar hurt American corn exports to Japan, the
biggest buyer of U.S. corn, which insisted on strict testing to make
sure no shipments was tainted.
Last March the USDA found that less than 1 percent of U.S. corn seed for
this year's spring planting was tainted with traces of StarLink's Cry9c
protein.
20:47 06-13-01
***************************************************************
Biotech Corn Didn't Cause Reactions
By Philip Brasher
AP Farm Writer
Wednesday, June 13, 2001; 7:17 PM
WASHINGTON –– Biotech corn that spawned nationwide food
recalls last
fall didn't cause the allergic reactions that people reported after
finding out about the grain, the government said Wednesday.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its
investigation of the complaints "did not find any evidence that
hypersensitivity" to a special protein in StarLink corn caused the
reactions.
Blood samples were taken from 17 people and tested for sensitivity to
the protein, known as Cry9C.
StarLink corn was never approved for human consumption because of
questions about whether it was an allergen.
The Cry9C protein breaks down slowly in the digestive system, an
indication that it might induce allergic reactions. However, scientists
say people would have to be exposed to the protein repeatedly to become
sensitive to it.
Critics of biotechnology say the CDC investigation was too limited to
conclude that the corn is safe. "This is a small piece of evidence,"
said Rebecca Goldburg, senior scientist with Environment Defense, an
advocacy group. "It's far from being definitive."
StarLink is one of several types of corn that have been genetically
engineered to produce its own pesticide.
StarLink was withdrawn from the market last year but not before the
grain was found contaminating a significant portion of the nation's corn
supply.
Discovery of the corn in taco shells last fall led to nationwide recalls
of corn products, and more recalls may be necessary unless the
Environmental Protection Agency agrees to allow a minimal amount of the
corn in food, according to the corn's developer Aventis CropScience.
Aventis wants the EPA to set a maximum level for the biotech grain of 20
parts per billion – the equivalent of one StarLink kernel in every
800
kernels of corn. The EPA is expected to consider the CDC report in
making its decision.
After the CDC began investigating complaints about StarLink, the Food
and Drug Administration developed a blood test that could tell whether
someone was allergic to the Cry9C protein.
The 17 people who gave blood samples to CDC were among 24 people
interviewed by investigators after reporting complaints.
Keith Finger, a Florida optometrist who was included in the CDC study,
said he suffered a severe allergy attack last September shortly before
the first recall of a StarLink-tainted product, Taco Bell-brand taco
shells.
Finger said he had a meal containing corn ingredients shortly before the
attack, which included severe stomach cramps and swelling of his throat.
He has since eaten the same products, which included a tortilla made
with corn starch, without a reaction, he said.
CDC's findings should give EPA "the final piece of information" it needs
to approve the Aventis request, said Val Giddings, a spokesman for the
Biotechnology Industry Organization.
