New Democrats press Harper to reassess GMO regulations

OTTAWA – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton and Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko are calling on the Prime Minister to reassess government regulations around genetically modified foods. At issue are concerns regarding the advisability of relying on the biotech industry’s own science to determine the way in which genetically modified food are regulated in Canada.

In a letter sent to Harper, Layton points to an independent study by French scientists who, after studying the effects of the most common Roundup formulations on human cells, found that when the individual compounds were used in mixtures they became deadly.

“These respected scientists have raised the alarm that current regulations are built around single compounds and do not take this phenomenon into account,” said Layton. “Given the increased use and presence of Roundup in the food chain we must take these findings seriously.”

“The fundamentals on which the economic and regulatory foundation has been built to govern this powerful technology are systematically being questioned by the scientific community,” noted Atamanenko. “For instance it was once believed that genes operate independently of each other in predictable and controllable ways. Scientists now say that because genes interact in such a complex network they have no idea how things will turn out.”

Atamanenko and Layton also urged the government to rescind the impending approvals for GM Sugar Beets and Alfalfa given the obvious lack of understanding about the technology in the scientific community including its safety.