GM Study Declared Unsound

A controversial study that suggested genetically modified (GM) maize causes cancer in rats is dismissed by the European Food Safety Authority.

Written byJef Akst
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Wikimedia, Sreejith KA task force set up by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) yesterday (November 28) has confirmed suspicions that a September study claiming to have identified serious health consequences of genetically modified (GM) maize “does not meet acceptable scientific standards.”

The 2-year-long study examined rats fed a Europe- and United States-approved GM corn, called NK603, and claimed they developed massive mammary tumors and died earlier than rats fed conventional corn. The results, which were published in September in Food and Chemical Toxicology, were met with immediate skepticism, leading to an independent evaluation by two French regulatory agencies and the EFSA. Last month (October 4), the EFSA announced its preliminary conclusion that “the design, reporting and analysis of the study, as outlined in the paper, are inadequate.” Now, the agency has declared with more certainty that the study “does not meet acceptable scientific standards, and there is no need to re-examine previous safety evaluations of genetically modified maize NK603.”

The European Union uses millions of tons ...

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  • Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.

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