Sir, - Consumers are following, with interest, the application of the Monsanto Agricultural Products Company to experiment with genetically engineered sugar beet crops. Their aim is to produce sugar beet tolerant to the herbicide sold by their company, "Roundup" (a Glyphosphate).
The gene to be inserted into sugar beet is the soil bacterium, Bacilhis Thuringiensis. Several toxic substances have been isolated from B. Thuringiensis which led to its use as an insecticide in the late 1960s. However, its use in food products could result in unwanted toxic residues.
The herbicide "Round up" requires protective clothing to be worn when it is sprayed. It is extremely irritating to the eyes and toxic to the respiratory system if inhaled by the user.
So who benefits from genetically engineered foods? The producer benefits - not the consumer. If genetically engineered foods enter Irish shops, the consumer will have to insist on clear, detailed labelling of these products in order to make an informed choice. This is your right.
Environmentalists are concerned about a possible decrease in the biodiversity of species and the spread of herbicide resistant genes to other plants. Biologists state that the use of antibiotic resistant genes in plants can cause decreased effectiveness of medicines. (The antibiotic resistant marker genes used in some genetically engineered crops include ampicillin and neomycin).
There is also the danger of the intensification of food allergies. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gas admitted that genetic engineering of foods can pose some risk. One US company has cancelled orders for soybean implanted with a gene from the Brazil nut, because the gene carried a harmful allergen.
Food and health are closely linked. Scientists can contribute (to the good health of society by looking at the environmental safety of crops. - Yours, etc.,
Council member of the Consumer Association of
Ireland,
Upper Mount Street,
Dublin 2.