Question
What information on the reproductive health of second and third generation animals fed genetically engineered diets, is available?
Submitted by: Sunday Elder
Answer
Expert response from Community Manager
Moderator for GMOAnswers.com
Friday, 15/05/2015 16:47
Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, animal genomics and biotechnology Cooperative Extension specialist at the University of California, Davis, shared a similar response on GMO Answers here. Below is an excerpt:
“A number of long-term (of more than 90 d and up to 2 years in duration) feeding trials and multigenerational studies conducted by public research laboratories using various animal models including pigs, cows, quail, and fish have also been reviewed (Ricroch, 2013; Ricroch et al., 2013; Snell et al., 2012). Significant among these studies are two thorough multigenerational studies that examined the long-term effects of feeding a genetically engineered (GE) corn variety (MON810, expressing the insecticidal Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis [Bt], one of the few GE corn varieties approved for cultivation in the EU) to food-producing animals, specifically, a German study in dairy cattle and an Irish study in pigs. These studies were notable in that they included appropriate controls consuming isogenic non-GE lines of corn, and both comprehensively examined a range of phenotypes and indicators of growth and health and also used sophisticated techniques to look for the presence of recombinantDNA (rDNA) and Bt protein in the tissues and products derived from these GE-fed animals (Guertler et al., 2010, 2012; Steinke et al., 2010; Walsh et al., 2011, 2012 a, b, 2013; Buzoianu et al., 2012 a, b, c, d, 2013 a, b).”
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