I was reading The Autoimmune Solution by Amy Myers. She referenced a study done on rats that were given GMOS and a large percentage of the rats died compared to those without GMOS. Is this an accurate study?

Expert response from Andrew Bartholomaeus

B.Pharm, PhD, Cert Ag (III)

Friday, 25/01/2019 22:31

The published literature contains many badly conducted or outright disingenuous studies that are generated to support preconceived objectives or philosophies. Equally many books on GMOs cite unpublished "studies" that cannot be verified or reviewed.  You do not give the actual reference so I cannot specifically comment on the study cited, but as an editor of a major toxicology journal and a previous general manager of the risk assessment Branch of a major food authority I can say categorically that I have not seen a single credible study from any source that demonstrates evidence of adverse effects of GMOs (different to that of the unmodified plant) on any species. Indeed I have not seen a single credible hypothesis as to why genetic modification by GM techniques would introduce greater risk than conventional methods which include the use of high dose radiation to induce random mutations. (With many of the varieties produced by radiation mutation used in "organic" agriculture)

Perhaps the best evidence of the safety is from the raising of food animals. Almost all animals raised for food in both Europe and the USA are fed GM grain. In the USA every year 9 billion food animals are raised.  The most important economic factors for the success of any farmer raising animals for food are the amount of body weight added per kg of food consumed, the reproductive health of the animals and their overall health (which affects growth).  These are also amongst the most sensitive of toxicological endpoints.  If there were any truth to the anti GMO rhetoric farmers would not be using GMOs for raising livestock, yet almost all have chosen to use GM grain.  There is no possible animal toxicology study that could yield more definitive evidence of safety than the 9 billion animals raised on GM grain each year in the USA alone