A 4-year study on the genetically modified crop golden rice, engineered to contain ß-carotene not naturally present in rice, is causing a huge controversy in China. Initially the 2008 study attracted little attention; but since Greenpeace China described it as "scandal of international proportions" in a statement released late last month (August 29), media outlets have relentlessly attacked the authors of the paper, claiming that they used the children as “human guinea pigs” and compare their actions to the Japanese bio-warfare experiments on Chinese prisoners in World War II.
In the study, the researchers gave 72 children either golden rice, spinach (a food naturally high in ß-carotene), or capsules enriched with ß-carotene in oil. They reported that ß-carotene in golden rice converts into vitamin A as efficiently as capsules, and better than in spinach—a positive result for the industry, and one that may aid in the fight against vitamin deficiency ...
