Researchers from Canadian university have found that toxic pesticides that are implanted in genetically modified foods to make them pest-resistant remain in the foods, and once the GM foods are ingested, the toxins lodge in the blood of expectant mothers and unborn babies posing health risk.

Scientists at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, analysed blood samples from 30 pregnant and 39 non pregnant women.

They found very low levels (in nano grams-one millionth (1/1,000,000) gram) of the toxin in 28/30 (93 per cent) of pregnant women, 27/39 (67 per cent) of non pregnant women and 24/30 (80 per cent) of the umbilical cords.

The toxin is an insecticidal protein produced by naturally occurring soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringensis. The gene of this insecticidal is genetically transformed into maize genome to produce insect-resistant maize.

The actual name of the maize is Bt-maize; MON810.

The Canadian researchers suggested the toxins found in the expectant and unborn babies were entering the body through eating meat, milk and eggs from farm livestock which have been fed GM maize. This is against the fact that they did not actually determine the amount of these toxins in the mentioned foods.

Despite the low levels of the toxins, these findings appear to contradict the GM industry’s long-standing claim that any potentially harmful chemicals added to crops would pass safely through the body.

These findings put the safety of GM foods under scrutiny.

Personal opinion:
-The fact that Bt toxins were found in the blood system of expectant mothers and unborn babies, it is quite worrying situation but several shortcomings are clear in this study. They include:
-The researchers never analysed the foods in Quebec area or foods consumed by their subjects for the content of the toxin. This makes their assumption of the source of the toxin speculative.
-The levels detected (nano grams) probably are very low to have serious implications although they should not be ignored.
Reference
Aris, A., Leblanc, S. Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Reproductive Toxicology. 2011, (31) 528-533.

Official link to the article

Unauthorised download link

Ina addition, why would we want to be sourcing for more seeds for food from abroad or from the relevant conglomerates?

It wont be long before we become entirely dependent, much more than we are now.

This is not good.