科學家: 轉(zhuǎn)基因食品安全試驗可悲地不足

Ken Roseboro , The Organic and Non-GMO Report, Dec/Jan 2009 　

 據(jù)朱迪·卡門（Judy Carman）博士說，關(guān)于轉(zhuǎn)基因食品安全方面的試驗非常少，而且在試驗進行時，生物技術(shù)公司就做最小化試驗。卡門博士說，需要進行深入的試驗研究以確保轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的安全。奧地利政府最近的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，老鼠在食用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米后生殖能力降低，由此看來卡門博士的建議是有預見性的。
    卡門博士是一個建康與環(huán)境研究機構(gòu)的負責人，這是一個非盈利性的機構(gòu)，位于澳大利亞，集中研究轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的安全性。卡門具有阿德雷德大學醫(yī)學博士學位，涉及領(lǐng)域有代謝調(diào)節(jié)、營養(yǎng)生物化學和癌癥，她一直在為澳大利亞一個州政府調(diào)查疾病爆發(fā)問題。　　

Ken Roseboro是有機及非基因改造生物導報（The Organic & Non-GMO Report）的編輯，卡門最近訪問美國時Ken采訪了她。　　

可以告訴我你關(guān)于轉(zhuǎn)基因食品對建康影響的研究嗎?
    我們正在進行一個長期的、獨立的、用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品喂養(yǎng)動物的研究，這種研究在目前為數(shù)很少。迄今為止，這類研究多由生物技術(shù)公司或與生物技術(shù)公司有關(guān)系的科學家進行。在為數(shù)不多的獨立研究中，一個由奧地利政府進行并于最近公開的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，老鼠在食用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米后，生育能力下降。另一個近期在意大利開展的研究也顯示，在食用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米后，老鼠出現(xiàn)了免疫系統(tǒng)問題。與獨立機構(gòu)發(fā)現(xiàn)不良反應相反的是，生物技術(shù)公司的研究傾向于證明食用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米不會引起健康問題。　　

對奧地利降低生育能力的研究結(jié)果你有什么評論嗎？　　

 我還沒有機會看到這一結(jié)果。有趣的是伊麗娜（Irina Ermakova，俄羅斯科學家）在用大豆喂養(yǎng)老鼠時也有類似的發(fā)現(xiàn)。食用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米對老鼠的影響越來越糟糕，這種結(jié)果令人不安。我所擔心的是在人類身上正發(fā)生著類似的事情，如果真是這樣，這些問題可能要經(jīng)過好多年以后才能變得明顯起來，而到那時候，要挽救可能就來不及了。　　

在做這類研究時最大的挑戰(zhàn)是什么?
    有兩個大的挑戰(zhàn)。第一，要得到研究需要的GM種子非常困難。為了買到GM種子，你必須找到有許可證的種子經(jīng)銷商，然后簽訂一個技術(shù)許可協(xié)議，協(xié)議上需要聲明，你不會用這些種子進行任何包括農(nóng)藝學、健康與環(huán)境等研究；第二，那些試圖進行GM食品健康影響研究的科學家都受到了那些轉(zhuǎn)基因技術(shù)既得利益者的騷擾與脅迫。我已經(jīng)遭到這些人長達10年的謾罵，他們誹謗我，將我趕出大學，還想讓我失去工作。面對這些威脅，多數(shù)科學家都會選擇放棄而不做任何研究。那些既得利益者一直想知道我在做什么，他們向西澳大利亞政府提出了一個信息自由申請以達到目的，但被拒絕，我差點被送上法庭，我的研究方案也差點被偷竊。　　

在美國很難找到轉(zhuǎn)基因食品對健康影響方面的研究資助，在澳大利亞，你是不是發(fā)現(xiàn)大學和機構(gòu)也不愿意資助這類研究？　　

 是的，非常難得到資助。如果你想進行醫(yī)學研究，你必須去一個資助這種研究的機構(gòu)，為了得到資助，你必須在該領(lǐng)域有一個可靠的研究業(yè)績記錄。但是在GM食品安全這種新領(lǐng)域，沒人有可靠的業(yè)績記錄，所以很難得到資助，這就象第22條軍規(guī)一樣不合邏輯。（源自美國小說《第二十二條軍規(guī)》，根據(jù)第二十二條軍規(guī)，只有瘋子才能獲準免于飛行，但必須由本人提出申請，但你一旦提出申請，恰好證明了你是一個正常人，還是在劫難逃。第二十二條軍規(guī)還規(guī)定，飛行員飛滿32架次就能回國，但它又說，你必須絕對服從命令，要不就不能回國。因此上級可以不斷給飛行員增加飛行次數(shù)，而你不得違抗。如此反復，無休無止。）我們非常感激西澳大利亞政府的資助，我們的研究方案發(fā)給了世界上15個科學家進行評審，然后由指導委員會批準。我想讓人們知道的是，我做的是一個全面而徹底的研究。
如果你的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)轉(zhuǎn)基因食品對健康有不利影響，你是不是準備迎接生物技術(shù)公司的猛烈攻擊？
    是的，我明白將會發(fā)生什么，我已經(jīng)被攻擊過很多次。轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的擁護者想用讓研究者丟飯碗的方式嚇唬他們以阻止這方面的研究。他們現(xiàn)在沒法讓我丟飯碗，我在我自己的組織里工作----一個健康與環(huán)境研究機構(gòu)，這一機構(gòu)是我和另外一些致力于弄清轉(zhuǎn)基因食品是否可以安全食用的人們一同建立的。那些鼓吹轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的人讓我懷疑，“他們到底在擔心什么？”如果他們相信轉(zhuǎn)基因食品是安全的，他們將會非常自信我找不出任何問題。但他們卻象得了妄想癥一樣。他們到底知道一些什么我不知道的內(nèi)情呢？他們到底在隱瞞什么？這些越發(fā)使我好奇從而決定弄個水落石出。
GM 食品在美國被廣泛消費，而美國政府反對轉(zhuǎn)基因食品標識，你怎么看這件事？ 　　

我非常吃驚轉(zhuǎn)基因食品標識在這里的缺乏，在澳大利亞，我們總是聽說美國是自由的土地，我發(fā)現(xiàn)這真是不可思議，美國人對于食用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品居然沒有選擇權(quán)，你們最基本的民主權(quán)利正在被剝奪。對于那些不愿吃轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的人來說，你的喉嚨正被強行塞滿轉(zhuǎn)基因食品，因為所有食品好象都有轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米與大豆的成份。在每個美國公民都和轉(zhuǎn)基因食品接觸的情況下，如果出現(xiàn)什么錯誤，那將是致命的錯誤，如果一千人里有一個人由于食用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品而生病，那將是30萬人。　　

轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的擁護者經(jīng)常聲稱“沒有一個美國人因為食用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品而生病”。　　

 這話是垃圾，事實上是沒有人知道而已。在轉(zhuǎn)基因食品出現(xiàn)以來，成百萬的美國人住院，成百萬的美國人死亡，但沒有人調(diào)查過任何一例生病或死亡事件是不是和食用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品有關(guān)！愛滋病好幾十年都沒有引起注意，抽煙與肺癌的關(guān)系經(jīng)過了多少代也沒被發(fā)現(xiàn)，以現(xiàn)在的安全監(jiān)測水平，就算GM確實引起了健康問題，也很難坐實。　　

你認為對GM莊稼應該做什么樣的安全檢測?　　

 我們需要進行和人類健康有關(guān)的長期試驗，而且要由那些獨立于轉(zhuǎn)基因既得利益的人來做，安全試驗現(xiàn)在可悲地不足，生物技術(shù)公司在做喂養(yǎng)研究時甚至并不全部使用轉(zhuǎn)基因谷物，他們趨向于僅僅用一種提取蛋白來代替，這種蛋白甚至不是從轉(zhuǎn)基因植物中提取的。喂養(yǎng)試驗有時只做幾天或幾周。安全試驗應該涉及食用轉(zhuǎn)基因食品和非轉(zhuǎn)基因食品的動物對比試驗，動物飼養(yǎng)的時間應當足夠長，從而至少可以進行諸如癌變風險、過敏試驗、對繁殖的威脅以及器官的健康影響等試驗。　　

你是否相信科學研究將會最終證明轉(zhuǎn)基因食品有重大健康風險？　　

 你永遠不知道會發(fā)生什么。獨立研究最終得以進行，轉(zhuǎn)基因食品對健康的不利影響正在暴露，近期關(guān)于轉(zhuǎn)基因行業(yè)的壞消息已經(jīng)象雪崩一樣。　　

原文鏈接：http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16236.cfm　

 　Scientist: GM Food Safety Testing Is "Woefully Inadequate"

　 　     By Ken Roseboro
The Organic and Non-GMO Report, Dec/Jan 2009 　　

According to Judy Carman, Ph.D., very little safety testing is done on genetically modified foods, and when it is done, biotechnology companies conduct minimal testing. Dr. Carmen says that more extensive testing of GM foods is needed to ensure they are safe. Her recommendations seem prophetic in light of a recent Austrian government study that found reduced fertility in mice-fed GM corn.

Dr. Carmen is director of the Institute of  Health and Environmental Research, Inc., a non-profit research institute based in Australia focusing on the safety of genetically modified food. She earned a doctorate degree in medicine from the University of Adelaide in the areas of metabolic regulation, nutritional biochemistry, and cancer. She has investigated outbreaks of disease for an Australian state government.

Ken Roseboro, editor of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, interviewed Dr. Judy Carmen during her recent visit to the United States　　.

Can you tell me about your research on the health impacts of GM foods?

We are conducting one of the very few long-term, independent animal feeding studies with GM foods. To date, most of these types of studies have been done by biotechnology companies or scientists associated with biotechnology companies. Of the few independent studies being done, a study by the Austrian government recently made public found reduced fertility in mice fed GM corn. Another recent study done in Italy showed immune system problems in mice fed GM corn. The studies done by biotechnology companies tend to show no health problems associated with eating GM food. The independent studies are finding adverse effects.

Do you have any comments about the Austrian study showing reduced fertility?

I haven't had a chance to read it yet. It is interesting that (Russian scientist) Irina Ermakova had similar findings (of reduced fertility) with mice fed GM soy. It is disturbing that the study showed a gradually worsening effect on mice that ate the GM corn. I am worried that something similar is happening in humans. If it is, it could take many years for problems to become apparent, and by then it could be too late to do anything about it.

What are the challenges of doing this type of research?

There are two major challenges. First, it is very hard to get GM seed to conduct the research. In order to buy GM seed, you have to go to a licensed seed dealer, and sign a technology licensing agreement, which states that you won't do any research on the seed, which includes agronomic, health, and environmental research. Also, scientists who try to research health impacts of GM food get harassed and intimidated by people with vested interests in GM technology. I've had 10 years of abuse from such people who've defamed me, driven me out of a university, and tried to get me fired from jobs. With that kind of intimidation, scientists often decide not to do any research. Vested interests have been trying to find out about research I'm doing. They filed a freedom of information request with the Western Australian government to find out. The government denied their request. It could have ended up in court. My research protocol could have been stolen.

Funding for studied looking at health effects of GM foods is difficult to find in the 　　United States. Do tyou find that universities and organizations in Australia also don't want to fund such studies?

Yes, it is very difficult to get funding. If you want to do medical research, you have to go to an organization that funds such research. In order to get funding you need to have a proven track record in that area of research. However, in a new area of research such as GM food safety, no one has a track record, so it is difficult to get the funding. It's a Catch-22. We are thankful that the Western Australian government gave us funding. The research protocol was sent to 15 scientists worldwide for review and then approved by a steering committee. I wanted people to know that I was doing a thorough job with this research.

If your research finds negative health impacts caused by GM foods, are you prepared to deal with a negative onslaught from biotech companies?

Yes, I understand that will happen. I've been attacked many times. GM food advocates want to make people who do this type of work frightened of losing their jobs to make them stop working on the issue. They can't get me fired now. I work within my own organization, the Institute of 　Health and Environmental Research, which I established along with others who are committed to finding out if GM foods are safe to eat. The behavior of GM food advocates makes me ask, "What are they frightened of?" If they believe GM foods are safe, they would be confident that I would not find any problems. Instead they are paranoid. What do they know that I don't know? What are they trying to hide? It makes me more curious and determined to find out.

GM foods are widely consumed in the United States, and the US government opposed labeling GM foods. What are your thoughts about that?

The big surprise is the lack of GM food labeling here. In Australia, we hear all the time from the 　　US that you are the land of the free. I find it amazing that Americans have no choice about eating GM foods. The most basic democratic right is being denied to you. For those who don't want to eat GM food, it is being shoved down your throats against your will because it seems that nearly all foods have ingredients from GM corn or soy. With every US citizen exposed to GM foods, if something goes wrong it could go very badly wrong. If one person in a thousand gets sick from GM foods, that's 300,000 people sick.

GM food advocates often claim that "no one in the US has ever gotten sick from eating GM foods."

It's rubbish to say that no one ever has ever gotten sick eating GM foods. The fact is that no one knows. Since GM foods have been introduced, millions of Americans have been hospitalized and millions have died, and no one has investigated to see if any of those cases have been due to eating GM foods. The HIV/AIDS epidemic went unnoticed for decades, and the relationship between  smoking and lung cancer went undetected for generations. With the current level of safety testing, if GM foods do cause human health problems, it will be very difficult to determine this, even though there may be many cases of illness.

What type of safety testing do you think should be done on GM crops?

We need long-tern safety tests that are relevant to human health done by people independent of GM vested interests. The safety testing done now is woefully inadequate. Biotechnology companies often don't even use the whole GM grain in feeding studies. Instead they tend to use only a protein extract that doesn't even come from the GM plant. The feeding tests are also only done for few days or a few weeks. Safety tests should involve comparing animals fed GM foods with animals fed the equivalent non-GM food. The animals should be fed long enough and involve tests that, at a minimum, measure risks of cancer and allergy and threats to reproduction and organ health.

Do you believe that scientific research will conclusively show that GM foods pose significant health risks?

You never know what will happen. Independent research is finally being done and is showing adverse effects. There's been an avalanche of bad news for the GM industry lately.　　

× 烏有之鄉(xiāng) WYZXWK.COM

您的打賞將用于網(wǎng)站日常運行與維護。
幫助我們辦好網(wǎng)站，宣傳紅色文化！

歡迎掃描下方二維碼，訂閱烏有之鄉(xiāng)網(wǎng)刊微信公眾號