ESP renews call for ban on GMOs

Leading environmental group Ecological Society of the Philippines renewed recently its call for the Philippine government to ban genetically modified foods, particularly Bt corn. ESP made the call in view of the banning of GM food in many parts of the world, latest of which is Bolivia where Bt corns’ pilot testing, planting and large scale use has been banned.

ESP president Antonio M. Claparols said liver cells of mice fed with genetically modified foods are more active in gene expression, providing further evidence that GM feeds affect the physiology of animals for reasons yet unknown.

Claparols also cited a number of reports from scientists worldwide which he said show the harmful effects of GM foods to animals.

Liver is a primary site for transforming the products of digestion and is strategically located between the digestive tract and the general circulation. It degrades and dextoxifies toxic compounds from the gut and general circulation and excretes them into the bile. It synthesizes many protein components of blood plasma and exercises an important degree of control over the general metabolism.

Researchers in Italy from the University of Urbion and the University of Perugia have investigated the effects of GM soya incorporated into the feed on the liver of newborn mice.

Pregnant Swiss mice were fed on standard labo chow containing wheat, barley, maize, alfa, skimmed milk, minerals and 14 percent GM soya beans engineered for tolerance to Roundup herbicide.

Control mice were fed on the same lab chow plus wild soybean, The litters obtained were analysed at different times after birth.