Another response to Jane Brody and her tainted opinion on GMO Labeling

Here is another editorial response to a post by Jane Brody that did not make it into the New York Times.  Leila Baroody, the author, nails it with great references.

At the end of her 6/9/15 Personal Health column entitled Fear, Not Fact, Behind GMO Labeling, I was glad to see Jane Brody finally ask “Are there risks to GMO’s that scientists have yet to discover?”  Ms. Brody needed to add independent science apart from industry-biased science to her data discovery to find there are plenty of already documented genetic engineering risks to humans, animals, soils, waters, whole ecosystems and to genomes as well. GMO technology was prematurely released as a result of political decision making, against FDA scientist warnings asking for further risk assessment.

There is no scientific consensus on GMO safety and that is why consumers need standardized GMO labeling. Or Ms. Brody should have simply asked citizens from “Right to Know” and GMO Labeling Groups from around the country why they are demanding GMO labeling.  Or discussed it with other non-industry scientists away from conflicts such as Dr. Sheldon Krimsky, head of the Council for Responsible Genetics, found here. Or done a literature review here,  and searched other journals to find independent studies which revealed why most of the world’s major economies require GMO labeling.

Recently retired EPA Sr. Scientist, Dr. Ramon Seidler, has publicly spoken out against genetically modified foods and increasing use of pesticides with GM crops. “From the risk assessment, economic, and legal perspectives there are many issues. There is a mixture of unfilled promises, concerns over litigation resulting from cross pollination and seed commingling events, and a disappointment that crop management practices have had significant negative impacts upon environmental bio safety.All of these side effects are happening despite no yield or production advantages of GE crops over traditional crops. There are also major concerns over whether the increased use of pesticides on our food crops have impacts upon the human population.” Full article

Leila Baroody