<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Hi, I'm new to the list, so far only responding to individuals, but
 
On June 8 Debra Boutin reported on genetically engineered rice...
 
I was alarmed by an article in the Wall Street Journal back on March 14,
titled "Allergen Is Inadvertently Transferred To Soybean in Bioengineering
Test".  According to the article there was a report in the New England
Journal of Medicine (also March 14) about the transfer of Brazil Nut
allergen to genetically engineered soybeans.  Brazil nut protein was
transferred to soybeans to increase soybean production of methionine to
improve its use as animal feed.  The transfer of the potentially dangerous
allergen was detected when the Food and Drug Administration required
looking for the allergen.  Researchers determined that the allergen was
present by testing the "transgenic" soybean against blood samples from  9
people with Brazil nut allergies and by skin prick tests on 3 people.  The
president of Cornell University's Bryce Thompson Institute for Plant
Research is quoted as saying that "the report demonstrates that adequate
safety mechanisms are in place to catch potential problems."  In a perfect
world...
 
Why was I alarmed about brazil nut allergen showing up in soybeans, when
nuts are not a problem for me?  Because in the future we will have no way
of knowing, with existing labelling regulations, what we are actually
consuming.  Avoiding gluten is difficult enough.  I try to avoid processed
foods because you can just never know for sure with most products.  But if
basic foods are no longer reliably safe we will be in trouble.  If the U.S.
gov't controls genetically engineered foods, fine, but will we have to
start finding out the country of origin for rice, corn, etc.?
 
I'm not familiar with the national CS organizations, but I think there is a
need for spokesmen, lobbyists even, to represent the interests of those
potentially impacted to the FDA and others, to make sure  the risks of
mixing gene pools for all foods are spelled out.  I don't think this is a
situation where everyone writing his or her congressman, etc. will do.  The
final paragraph of the Journal article I noted above I will quote.  "A
spokesman for Pioneer [the company doing the genetic engineering] said the
company halted development of the variety and is now looking to CEREAL
GRAINS [my caps] and within the soybean itself for ways to increase
methionine levels."
 
Terry Simeone