-Caveat Lector- Interesting that there is no GAG news reported in the US Corporate Media. flw >UNDERNEWS >By Sam Smith >February 16, 1999 >BRITS IN BIG FOOD FIGHT >Although the missiles are words rather than dinner >rolls, the British are in the midst of a major food >fight. At issue is the safety of genetically altered >groceries and at the heart of the debate is the huge >American corporation Monsanto. > >Tony Blair was featured on the evening news >displaying his faith in food by being filmed actually >eating. A representative assured the media that the >prime minister even consumed > GAG (Genetically Altered Groceries) >although he couldn't specify which ones. > >Despite the lack of attention to GAG issue by US >media, the story has a major American subtext as many >Brits clearly see this country poisoning their food >supply through rapacious biotechnology. W.J. Clinton >is reported to have put pressure on Blair to support >GAG. > >Here are some latest developments: > >* 29 environmental groups -- including Friends of the >Earth and Greenpeace -- have called for a five year >moratorium before genetically modified crops can be >grown commercially in the UK. > >* Charges and counter-charges continue to whirl >around the scientist who brought the GAG issue to the >recent fore by experiments with rats that displayed >serious health problems after only ten days of eating >genetically altered potatoes. Dr. Arpad Putsztai was >suspended last year from a government research >institute for alleged media statements describing a >different experiment in which genetically altered >potatoes reproduced a naturally recurring poison that >damaged rats. A research assistant charged that the >potatoes had not been altered but that the poison had >been added directly to them. Dr. Putsztai, however, >wrote a report stating that the only genetically >modified crop he tested was a potato containing a >snowdrop gene. A professional investigation of the >scientist cleared him. The gene virus in question is >owned by Monsanto. > >* Although not allowed to speak on the matter, a >letter from Dr. Putsztai to a sympathizer has >surfaced in which the doctor accused the government >of covering up his findings. Excerpt: "At least some >MPs ought to know that there has been a cover-up, so >that when the whole truth is revealed, they cannot >say, 'I am afraid I did not know what was going on'. >Let us hope that eventually everything will be >revealed as in a civilized democratic society it >should be." > >* A majority of a group of 20 scientists surveyed by >the London Telegraph gave their okay to selling GAG >at supermarket, but only half said it was safe to >grow altered crops commercially. The rest wanted a >moratorium until more is known. The Telegraph's >survey was apparently in response to the endorsement >of Putsztai's work by 20 international scientists. > >* There have been newspaper reports that Putsztai's >employer, the Rowett Institute, received �140,000 >from Monsanto. > >* A BBC call-in poll got 10,392 calls from viewers >saying they would not eat genetically modified >potatoes - 280 people rang to say they would. > >* Science Minister Lord Sainsbury has denied a >conflict of interest between his business holdings in >genetically engineered food and his government >position. He admitted that he owned a patent on a >biotech product known as a "translator enhancer" but >that it was in a blind trust as were his holdings in >the Sainsbury supermarket chain -- a major >supermarket player in the US as well as Britain. > >* Monsanto has appeared in court charged with failing >to control the spread of pollen from a trial planting >of genetically altered crops. > >* The head of the Iceland food chain, which has been >trying to make its products GAG-free, said a freeze >on GAG would be sound business and that his company >had gotten an "overwhelmingly positive response from >its customers" for its policy. > >* Dr. Vandan Shiva of ActionAID notes that rather >than feeding the world, genetic engineering could >increase poverty by destroying centuries-old >subsistence farming: "Genetic engineering is likely >only to feed the profits of multinational companies >like Monsanto -- it is not the answer to world >hunger." > >* The BBC tested Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausage >and mince and found they contained genetically >modified Monsanto Round-Up Ready soya, despite claims >they were GAG-free. Sir Paul McCartney expressed >shock and promised to eliminate the techo-juiced >soya. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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