How does the industry respond to the recent Samsel & Seneff research regarding Glyphosate's ability to damage the balance of healthy gut bacteria, through this bacteria's shikimate pathway? Monsanto has long claimed the safety of Glyphosate through it's belief that the shikimate pathway is only present in plant life forms - now this enlightening research shows there may be real potential for harm?! The balance of our gut bacteria is critical for maintaining a healthy immune system. Doctors and scientists have accepted and proven the connection between balanced, healthy gut flora and efficient immune system response. With the overwhelming amount of research linking Glyphosate residue with a growing range of health concerns, and with the stark evidence that the use of such chemicals has increased, not decreased with the introduction of GMO crops, how do bioengineered food manufacturers justify petitioning the EPA for increased tolerance levels in edible crops? Many consumers are outraged by this recent EPA ruling! (Link to referenced paper: http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416)

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Wednesday, 26/02/2014 17:09

The Samsel & Seneff study is a popular topic, and we’ve already received several questions about it. Dr. Kevin Folta, interim chair and associate professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, recently answered a similar question about the Samsel & Seneff study.

Here is an excerpt:

“…Relatively small amounts of glyphosate are applied as weeds emerge. These die and do not compete against emerging glyphosate-resistant crops. Glyphosate is amazingly nontoxic to humans or any other animals. Acute effects are seen only at relatively high doses. The LD50 (the dose that kills half of the rats that consume the dose) is about 5,000 mg/kg of body weight. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds, you’d have to drink about two pounds of the 41% commercial concentrate to have a 50% chance of dying. Of course, it is not recommended—ask any of the hundreds of people who have tried to commit suicide by drinking it. It takes a good dose to cause problems. Look up ‘glyphosate’ and ‘suicide’ in PubMed.

“The flora of the gut are hardly plantlike—they are microbes, the vast majority bacteria. The ‘Roundup resistance’ gene comes from a bacterium…”

You can read Folta’s full response here: http://gmoanswers.com/ask/maybe-gmos-arent-problem-they-are-only-enabler-case-roundup-ready-enabling-food-be-doused-it.

If you have additional questions, please ask at http://gmoanswers.com/ask.