Synopsis: A scientific paper published in late 2012 shows that US and EU
GMO regulators have for many years been inadvertently approving
transgenic events containing an unsuspected viral gene. As a result, 54
different transgenic events commercialized internationally contain a
substantial segment of the multifunctional Gene VI from Cauliflower
Mosaic Virus (CaMV) within them. Among these are some of the most widely
grown GMOs, including Roundup Ready Soybean (40-3-2) and MON810 Maize.
The oversight occurred because regulators failed to appreciate that Gene
VI overlaps the commonly used CaMV 35S gene regulatory sequence.
The authors of the paper, working for the European Food Safety
Authority, concluded that functions of Gene VI were potential sources of
harmful consequences. They further concluded that, if expressed, the
fragments of Gene VI are substantial enough for them to be functional
(Podevin and du Jardin (2012) GM Crops and Food 3: 1-5). This discovery
has multiple ramifications for biotechnology. Foremost, there is the
immediate question of GMO safety and whether the 54 events should be
recalled, but secondly, the failure implicates regulators and the
industry in a circle of mutual incompetence and complacency.
The discovery will also strengthen the argument for GMO labeling: if
regulators and industry cannnot protect the public then why should they
not be allowed to protect themselves?
Jonathan Latham, PhD
Editor
Independent Science News
www.independentsciencenews.org
and
www.bioscienceresource.org