Biotech Foods

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Biotech Foods
Facts and Myths
L. C. Hannah
University of Florida
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What is a
Biotech Food?
- Foods containing a gene inserted by
man.
- Inserted gene can be from any source
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Biotech Foods
--feed the world a) golden rice
b) vaccines thru plants c) 38
increase in corn, wheat,rice oat
yield d) many more coming
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Biotech Foods
250 million people eat them every day
--- have for six years No reported
ill effects
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Biotech Foods
Transgenic plants on the market.
Cotton Corn Soybeans Papaya
others
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Biotech Foods
-- Very precise inserted DNA is
known DNAs function is known
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Biotech Foods
-- Highly regulated FDA EPA
USDA NIH
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Biotech Foods
-- so what is the problem ?
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Problems
1.) Hidden agendas the pocket book
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Problems
2.) Media hype -- sell newspapers
air time
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Problems
3.) Lack of understanding --biology
--food --agriculture plant
breeding
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History of transgenic organisms.
Early 70s -- recombinant DNA
Scientists initiated moratorium
NIH - RAC
1995 --
First transgenic plants on the market.

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History of transgenic organisms.
1997 -- UK
-- Mad Cow Disease mistrust of Govt --
transgenic potato with lectin -- ban on
transgenic foods.



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History of transgenic organisms.
1998 -- USA -- Affected ability to export
foods to Europe -- Renewed
anti-GMO efforts
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History continued, 2000
Date 5 Sep 2000 173310 -0000 From "gbvhsdh
dgsg" ltqazwsx_at_disinfo.netgt Subject Genetics
action info. Please copy to all your media
contacts 1) To all farmers growing or preparing
to grow GM crops- KNOW THIS On the night of
25/8/00 we sabotaged farm machinery belonging to
Bob Fiddeman, NFU spokesperson on biotechnology.
Four of his tractors and his 'dominator
combine harvester had wires cut, locks glued,
and corrosives poured over connections.
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NO GMO was sprayed over the machines The aim was
not to cause maximum damage but to send you a
message. If you continue your complicity with
the corporations, your business and private
property WILL be attacked. Up until now those
resisting GM technology have been patient with
you- NO LONGER. Your security preparations will
do you no good- Fiddeman has already had crops
on his land attacked and the farmhouses were
only 20 feet away from the machinery.
Floodlights, alarms, dogs, security guards- it
makes no difference to us- we are committed.
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If we can hit his machinery then we can hit
yours. If you have crops in the ground- plough
them up If you have not yet planted- don't start.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO ENTER THIS CONFRONTATION. If
you do not wake to the public's hatred of GMOs
and to your responsibilty to the living earth
you will instead wake to your machines and
property in pieces. The colonisation of the seed
will be resisted.
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Concern 1
Precautionary Principle
We dont fully understand all of biology. Hence,
why take the chance by using gene technology?
Besides, we dont need increased food production
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Assumptions
Conventional foods are...
-- invariant
--natural
-- safe
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Assumptions
Conventional foods are...
-- natural
-- invariant
-- safe
None of these are true!
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Plant Breeding
New plants and varieties each year.
Genetics of food changes
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Plant Breeding
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Plant Breeding
A) Mutation Creation
- massively produce large number of
mutants.
- sort out good ones from bad ones by
selection.
Problem Cannot get rid of all unwanted
or unknown genetic changes
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Plant Breeding
Problem Thousands of unknown
genes are introduced
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Foods are Safe
Vast majority of carcinogens come from
food
Bruce Ames, 1990
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Concern 2
Foods containing genes not of plant origin are
inherently more dangerous.
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Number of Genes
In Plants Animals
20,000 to 60,000

Some genes are identical,
Others quite different
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Some Work,
Others Not.
- Placement of one animal gene in a plant
does
not make a plant an animal.
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Concern 3
Existing biotech foods give no advantage to
consumers.
Herbicide resistance Insect resistant

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BUT
Virus resistant Papaya - rescued papaya
industry
in Hawaii
BT- sweet corn in Florida - without, 17
sprayings - with, only 3 sprayings
- less insect damage less
carcinogens
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Concern 4
Farmers cannot save their seed for replanting the
following year. -- Terminator gene --
Roundup Ready -- BT
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---Not True. Farmers have choices.
RR soybeans 55 to 85 US crop --
cant save some conventional crops


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Concern 5
- Transgenics involve random insertions
of DNA. - Random insertions are
unnatural.
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Not true Random insertions are entirely
natural. - Barbara
McClintock Still active in modern plants
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Concern 6
Food distribution is the problem not yield
not production
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- Distribution is important, but so is
yield.
- Only feasible solution in developing
countries
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Concern 7
Regulatory agencies depend too much on companies
for data concerning safety.
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- Who loses if data are wrong? - Liability and
survival of biotech food industry
example Starlink
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Concern 8
BT corn pollen kills Monarch
Butterfly!!!!

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-- pollen levels not
physiological -- Few milkweeds in field --
butterfly populations higher in Bt
fields -- Still best method known
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-- Scarce and expensive foods lead to
revolutions. -- Developed countries have cheap
and plentiful foods. -- Cheap and plentiful
food supply requires control of insects.
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Concern 9
Because of biotechnology, life can now be patented
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But plant (varieties) patents predated
biotechnology.
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Concern 10
Super weeds and super insects will emerge.
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Because of natural selection, resistant
pests predated
biotech.
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Concern 11
Pollen transfer from crop to weed will cause
super weeds.
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-- Rarely is there transfer -- Such hybrids are
usually weak and sterile -- Weeds not
super -- just different
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Concern 12
Transgene taken up by cells in
stomach. cant have antibiotic gene
in plants.
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- DNA is DNA. - Transgene no different than
endogenous DNA. -
Transgene is not on plasmid
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Concern 13
Transgenics have allergens not in conventional
foods.
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These are monitored. -- groundnut protein in
soybean Pioneer
HiBred
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Concern 14
GMO foods should be labeled

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True if composition altered
Otherwise --- implies intrinsic danger.
--- requires isolation -- cost
prohibitive -- likely impossible
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A possible solution
These foods may contain ingredients made
with biotech
products.
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Concern 15
Monopoly in seed production

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--Possibly, although historically only two
companies in corn breeding. -- problem not
unique to biotech. i.e. Microsoft
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Foods, like people,
should be judged by their
own individual merits...
and not by their
genetic origin!