Greetings,

I just read a new article that appeared in ELLE Magazine about GMOs. This is a highly regarded mainstream publication, so I'd appreciate your views on this article. Here is the link. http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/health-issues-caused-by-gmo-corn.

Essentially, the message from this article and other similar articles I've read is that well known and highly esteemed doctors and scientists around the world are finding solid and sound scientific evidence that both GMOs and Glyphosate are potently dangerous. This is not their opinion per se, but rather their scientific findings time and time again.

How do you respond to these scientific findings that are occurring on a frequent basis? Thank you!

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 14/03/2014 18:06

Writer Jon Entine discussed this ELLE article in a Slate article; an excerpt is below, and you can read the full article here.

“Shetterly’s narrative is emotionally compelling, but only that; it just doesn’t withstand the critical scrutiny of science. Let’s start with her central premise: Genetically modified foods, or more specifically genetic modified corn, can cause allergic reactions. Is that even possible? Can the process of genetic modification create allergies?

“‘Not likely,’ said Pamela Ronald, an internationally respected plant geneticist at the University of California, Davis, and a pioneer in developing sustainable agricultural solutions. ‘After 16 years of cultivation and a cumulative total of 2 billion acres planted, no documented adverse health or environmental effects have resulted from commercialization of genetically engineered crops.’

“Mansmann’s belief that GMOs may cause allergic reactions and autoimmune disorders is a familiar trope in the anti-crop-biotechnology literature, from sources ranging from naturalnews.com to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Such tracts often gleefully point out that the rise in reported food allergies in the U.S. over the past 16 years coincides with the advent of our consumption of genetically modified crops.

“Where you won’t find such claims is in the established scientific literature. ‘There has not been one study that links the genetically engineered corn or any approved genetically modified food on the market to allergies,’ Ronald told me. ‘The author, and apparently this doctor, [are] under the mistaken belief that the process of genetic modification can in itself create unique allergens that are not otherwise found in nature or are not easily identified and evaluated. That’s just not accurate.’

“Biology Fortified, a website devoted to plant genetics and sustainable agriculture, has posted more than 600 studies on its GENERA database—more than one-third of which were conducted by independent scientists who receive no funding from the industry—and none of the studies links GM corn to allergies.

“Shetterly’s journalistic trick—a tactic often employed by anti-GMO activists—was to frame a settled issue in the science community as a mystery or controversy.”

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