Subject: WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 07:31:03 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State
of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Carol Browner browner.carol@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker: I thought you would like to read an
article sent to me by Elizabeth O'Nan on January 20, 2001 entitled: Food DNA
found in cells of farm animals. WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!
Subject: farm animals may be what they eat!
The article below finally appeared. It has surprising
findings of food DNA in the cells among the genes in farm animals. Chickens
seem to be promiscuous in the genetic sense in that they take up DNA fragments
from outside sources. The finding must make us rethink assumptions about cell
DNA and the process of genetic modification.
European Food Research and Technology
Abstract Volume 212 Issue 2 (2001) pp 129-134
The fate of forage plant DNA in farm animals: a
collaborative case-study investigating cattle and chicken fed recombinant
plant material R. Einspanier
(1), Andreas Klotz (1), Jana Kraft (2), Karen Aulrich (3), Rita Poser (4),
Fredi Schwagele (4), Gerhard Jahreis (2), Gerhard Flachowsky (3) (1) Institut
fur Physiologie, FML, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, Technische Universitat Munchen,
85350 Freising, Germany e-mail: einspani@weihenstephan.de
Tel.: +49-8161-713510 Fax: +49-8161-714204 (2) Institut fur Ernahrung und
Umwelt, Friedrich Schiller Universitat, Dornburger Str. 24, 07743 Jena,
Germany (3) Institut fur Tierernahrung, Bundesforschungsanstalt fur
Landwirtschaft, Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany (4) Institut fur
Chemie und Physik, Bundesanstalt fur Fleischforschung, Baumann Str. 20, 95326
Kulmbach, Germany
Received: 23 February 2000 / Revised version: 20 March
2000
Abstract The fate of ingested recombinant plant DNA in
farm animals (cattle and chicken) being fed a diet containing conventional
maize or recombinant Bacillus thuringiensis toxin-maize (Bt-maize) is
described. The probability of the
detection by polymerase chain reaction of chloroplast-specific gene fragments
of different lengths (199 bp and 532 bp) and a t-maize-specific fragment
[truncated version of CryIA(b)] is shown. First data indicated that only short
DNA fragments (<200 bp) derived from plant chloroplasts could be detected
in the blood lymphocytes of cows. In all other cattle organs investigated
(muscle, liver, spleen, kidney) plant DNAs were not found, except for faint
signals in milk. Furthermore, Bt-gene fragments possibly recording the uptake
of recombinant maize, were not detected in any sample from cattle. However, in
all chicken tissues (muscle, liver, spleen, kidney) the short maize
chloroplast gene fragment was amplified. In contrast to this, no foreign plant
DNA fragments were found in eggs. Bt-gene specific constructs originating from
recombinant Bt-maize were not detectable in any of these poultry samples
either.
Well Mr. Helliker,
It is well known that many of your "registered" POISONS
and/or their metabolites bioaccumulate in living organisms like people, plants
and animals. So it should
not be too surprising that your "frankenfoods" may also do the same
thing. Just another reason to eat
organic and to use safe and far more effective alternatives.
Respectfully, Stephen
L. Tvedten
If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing
information on pesticides, Email Us.
with "subscribe" in the subject line.