If people die or get cancer by your produce will you take the full blame

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Tuesday, 07/07/2015 10:08

Your question raises several claims, which we take very seriously and will address individually in the response below.
 

First, we would like to address your concern that GMOs cause cancer. GMOs do not cause cancer. According to Kevin Folta, professor and chairman, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, “there is absolutely zero reputable evidence that GMO foods cause cancer.” Dr. Folta goes on to say, “Cancer is a name applied to a spectrum of diseases where cells proliferate abnormally. There is no way that the subtle and well-understood alterations of a plant’s genes can cause cancer. There is nothing about the Bt protein (used in insect resistance, also in organic pest control), the EPSPS enzyme (which confers herbicide resistance simply by substituting for the native enzyme in the plant) or the process itself that would induce such cellular changes in human cells that would lead to cancer. It is just not plausible.”
 

You can read his full response here. You may also be interested in this response, which also addresses a question regarding GMOs and cancer.
 

Second, a note on the safety of GMOs. GMOs on the market today are as safe as their non-GMO counterparts. They do not cause new allergies, cancer, infertility, ADHD, autism or any other diseases or conditions. We stand 100 percent behind the health and safety of the GM crops on the market today. Scientific authorities around the world, such as the World Health Organization and the American Association for Advancement of Science, agree that GM food crops do not pose any more risks to people, animals or the environment than any other foods.
 

Bruce Chassy, professor emeritus of food safety and nutritional sciences, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, states that “it’s also important to recognize that the US National Academy of Science (and similar academies the world over), the American Medical Association (as well as those in Germany, France, the UK and elsewhere around the globe), the FAO, the WHO and scores of scientific societies have all come to the conclusion that GM crops are as safe as any other and, more importantly, there is no scientific reason to expect them to be any different.” He goes on to say, “I know there are a lot of groups and a lot of websites out there claiming all sorts of harms and dangers from GM crops, but they lack evidence, provide flawed evidence and make up evidence. The science just doesn’t support them.”
 

GMOs must also go through rigorous safety testing in the United States before they can come to market. In fact, crops from GM seeds are studied extensively to make sure they are safe for people, animals and the environment. Today’s GM products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history. Learn more on this topic by checking out this infographic, which explains how a GMO gets to market.
 

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Tuesday, 07/07/2015 10:08

Your question raises several claims, which we take very seriously and will address individually in the response below.
 

First, we would like to address your concern that GMOs cause cancer. GMOs do not cause cancer. According to Kevin Folta, professor and chairman, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, “there is absolutely zero reputable evidence that GMO foods cause cancer.” Dr. Folta goes on to say, “Cancer is a name applied to a spectrum of diseases where cells proliferate abnormally. There is no way that the subtle and well-understood alterations of a plant’s genes can cause cancer. There is nothing about the Bt protein (used in insect resistance, also in organic pest control), the EPSPS enzyme (which confers herbicide resistance simply by substituting for the native enzyme in the plant) or the process itself that would induce such cellular changes in human cells that would lead to cancer. It is just not plausible.”
 

You can read his full response here. You may also be interested in this response, which also addresses a question regarding GMOs and cancer.
 

Second, a note on the safety of GMOs. GMOs on the market today are as safe as their non-GMO counterparts. They do not cause new allergies, cancer, infertility, ADHD, autism or any other diseases or conditions. We stand 100 percent behind the health and safety of the GM crops on the market today. Scientific authorities around the world, such as the World Health Organization and the American Association for Advancement of Science, agree that GM food crops do not pose any more risks to people, animals or the environment than any other foods.
 

Bruce Chassy, professor emeritus of food safety and nutritional sciences, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, states that “it’s also important to recognize that the US National Academy of Science (and similar academies the world over), the American Medical Association (as well as those in Germany, France, the UK and elsewhere around the globe), the FAO, the WHO and scores of scientific societies have all come to the conclusion that GM crops are as safe as any other and, more importantly, there is no scientific reason to expect them to be any different.” He goes on to say, “I know there are a lot of groups and a lot of websites out there claiming all sorts of harms and dangers from GM crops, but they lack evidence, provide flawed evidence and make up evidence. The science just doesn’t support them.”
 

GMOs must also go through rigorous safety testing in the United States before they can come to market. In fact, crops from GM seeds are studied extensively to make sure they are safe for people, animals and the environment. Today’s GM products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history. Learn more on this topic by checking out this infographic, which explains how a GMO gets to market.