Two groups of scientists at Inner Mongolia University in Huhhot, China, have reportedly created two genetically modified (GM) calves capable of producing either low-lactose milk or milk high in omega-3 fatty acids. According to media sources, the group involved with low-lactose milk production hopes to create herds of GM cows that would supply a range of dairy products for lactose-intolerant consumers within five to 10 years. “Ordinary milk contains lactose, while milk produced by our modified cow will have relatively low content of lactose, or even have no lactose,” one scientist told The Telegraph. “Most people suffer the lactose intolerance in varying degrees. We are attempting to breed a dairy cow that produce low lactose milk for supplying the market. We hope to commercialize it in the future.” The second research team apparently modified cow embryos with genes from roundworms to produce milk with four times the level of omega-3…
Tag Archives GMO
The American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates has reportedly updated its policy on genetically engineered (GE) foods, voting at its 2012 Annual Meeting to adopt a statement that supports pre-market product testing but opposes special labeling. According to media sources, AMA’s statement concludes that “there is no scientific justification for special labeling of bioengineered foods, as a class, and that voluntary labeling is without value unless it is accompanied by focused consumer education.” At the same time, however, the association has backed “mandatory pre-market systematic safety assessments of bioengineered foods.” “The science-based labeling policies of the [Food and Drug Administration] do not support special product labeling without evidence of material differences between bioengineered foods and their traditional counterparts. The AMA adopted policy support[s] this science-based approach, recognizing that there currently is no evidence that there are material differences or safety concerns in available bioengineered foods,” explained AMA board member…
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) has reportedly certified that enough valid signatures were gathered to allow a genetically modified organism (GMO) food-labeling initiative on the state ballot during the November 6, 2012, general election. In May, the Committee for the Right to Know obtained 971,126 signatures, of which 555,236 had to be proven valid. The ballot initiative, aka California Right to Know Genetically Modified Food Act, was covered in Issue 438 in this Update. “We’re thrilled that Californians will have the opportunity this November to vote for the right to know what’s in our food,” said Stacy Malkan, a committee spokesperson. “It’s about our fundamental right to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families.” See California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Press Release, June 11, 2012; Law360, June 12, 2012.
A Florida resident has filed a complaint on behalf of a nationwide class of consumers against Frito-Lay, alleging that it sells the company’s snack foods, such as Tostitos® chips, Sunchips® and bean dip, as “All Natural” without disclosing that they contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Foust v. Frito-Lay N. Am., Inc., No. 12-21975 (S.D. Fla., filed May 25, 2012). According to the complaint, “The Product poses a potential threat to consumers because medical research and scientific studies have yet to determine the long-term health effects of genetically engineered foods. Recent studies suggest that GMOs may in fact be harmful to a consumer’s health.” Still, the plaintiff does not allege personal injury, claiming instead that he would not have purchased the product “if he had known that the Defendant could not support their [sic] claim that the Product is all natural because it contains GMOs.” In this regard, the plaintiff notes that…
The European Food Safety Authority’s Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (EFSA GMO Panel) has issued an opinion on the French government’s move to prohibit the planting of a certain GM maize variety, concluding that “there is no specific scientific evidence, in terms of risk to human and animal health or the environment, that would support the notification of an emergency measure under Article 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003.” According to EFSA, which noted that most of the studies cited by French authorities were recycled from a 2008 submission on the same topic, the agency was unable to identify “any new science-based evidence” to support the country’s ongoing ban. Citing risks to environmental health, French Agricultural Minister Bruno Le Maire in March 2012 reinstated a ban against this particular variety of GM maize after French courts overturned a previous emergency measure. As one spokesperson explained to media sources, however, EU…
A federal court in Maryland has dismissed, under the first-to-file rule, a lawsuit brought by a plaintiff characterized as a “frequent flyer in the United State judicial system,” finding that five similar putative class action lawsuits against the defendants, three of which were filed before the plaintiff filed his complaint, are currently pending in a federal court in California. Hinton v. Naked Juice Co., No. 11-3740 (D. Md., decided April 30, 2012). The plaintiff, who has apparently filed at least 43 other federal civil lawsuits, all dismissed as frivolous, sought $100,000 in damages from the defendants, claiming that they label their beverages as “Non-GMO” and “natural” while using genetically modified and synthetic ingredients. He filed the complaint in state court, and it was removed to federal court. After the defendants sought to dismiss the case or transfer it to California on convenience grounds, the plaintiff filed a motion for remand.…
A California organization has reportedly gathered enough signatures to put a genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling initiative on the state ballot during the November 6, 2012, general election. According to a May 2, 2012, press release, the Committee for the Right to Know has registered 971,126 signatures, of which 555,236 must prove valid for the initiative to be included on the ballot. Submitted to the state attorney general as an initiative measure, the proposed California Right to Know Genetically Modified Food Act would require (i) raw agricultural commodities produced with genetic engineering to bear “clear and conspicuous” labels conveying this information, and (ii) all processed retail foods to display labels stating “Partially Produced with Genetic Engineering” or “May be Partially Produced with Genetic Engineering.” The act would also prohibit such foods from being marketed as “natural,” but would not apply to prepared meals sold in restaurants and intended for immediate…
Canadian researchers have reportedly halted the development of genetically engineered (GE) pigs after the hog producers association sponsoring the project decided to stop funding it. Created in 1999 by scientists at the University of Guelph and financed by Ontario Pork, the so-called Enviropig™ apparently contained genes from mice and an E. coli bacterium that enabled the animal to digest plant phosphorus “more efficiently than conventional Yorkshire pigs,” thereby lessening the environmental impact of the manure. Had a company been found to take the product to market, the Enviropig™ would have become the first GE animal to enter the food supply if approved by the U.S. and Canadian governments for human consumption. According to an April 2, 2012, New York Times report, however, the Enviropig™ met much resistance from environmental and consumer groups that oppose transgenic livestock for food purposes and feared the GE pig would make large-scale farming more profitable.…
French maize growers and seed companies have reportedly brought an appeal before the nation’s highest court seeking to overturn the French government’s temporary moratorium on a strain of genetically modified (GM) maize. The government action was taken in response to the court’s decision to annul a previous moratorium after finding that it lacked justification. In a joint statement, the plaintiffs said, “This restriction does not rely on any serious scientific element, and maize producers, hit by (insects), sustain real financial damage.” France has also reportedly requested that the European Commission suspend authorization to sow the GM maize, the only one approved for cultivation in the European Union, contending that scientific research shows that it poses “significant risks for the environment.” See Reuters, March 29, 2012.
The U.S. Supreme Court has invited the U.S. solicitor general to submit a brief addressing the issues raised in a dispute over patent exhaustion and second-generation genetically modified (GM) seeds. Bowman v. Monsanto Co., No. 11-796 (U.S., order entered April 2, 2012). An Indiana farmer, who was found to have infringed Monsanto’s patents by planting the Roundup Ready® soybeans he purchased from a grain elevator, filed a petition for certiorari, arguing that when the company sold its patented seeds to a different farmer, who later sold the soybeans to the grain elevator, it exhausted its rights to that seed and all of its descendants. He was not required to sign a licensing agreement before buying “commodity” soybeans and thus claims that he was free to plant them and then save and replant each crop in future seasons. Monsanto reportedly contends that each generation is a separate product and that the…
