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Austrian Government Withdraws Study Claiming Monsanto Maize Products Reduce Fertility
23.04.2010 11:41 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
On November 11, 2008 the Austrian Federal Ministry for Health, Family and Youth released a report on three studies assessing the impact of biotech corn on reproduction. Of the three studies, only one showed potential impacts of GM corn. One of this study’s authors, Dr. Jürgen Zentek, summarized the findings to state that «mice fed with GM maize had less offspring in the third and fourth generations, and these differences were statistically significant. Mice fed with non-GM maize reproduced more efficiently.» The GM corn tested contained both MON 810 (Bt/insect resistance) and NK603 (Roundup Ready®) traits
The Austrian government has now withdrawn the study.
Austrian government representatives told the European Commission’s Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health on October 19 that the study did not present a satisfactory statistical analysis of the data.
The original study had not been subjected to peer review by qualified, scientific experts, nor published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
One the research authors, Dr. Zentek, said the results from the three studies produced contradictory results and the results were considered preliminary.
Despite this, Greenpeace International and The Center for Food Safety had immediately called for GM products to be taken off the market or subject to a moratorium.
Now the study has been withdrawn. The minutes of the EC’s Standing Committee from October 19 said: «The delegation of Austria indicated that the contracted researchers still failed to deliver a satisfactory report on this study, especially with respect to the statistical analysis of the data, and that the Austrian Ministries do not expect anymore to receive such a report.»
A broad body of scientific evidence indicates there are no effects from these products on reproduction. Several reproductive toxicity studies have previously been conducted with these products. None of the findings suggested negative effects. More than 20 regulatory authorities worldwide have determined that maize containing MON 810, NK 603 and the combination of the two traits are as safe as conventional maize.
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