And you thought the GM news was bad before.......

The GMO seed/food industry has been noticeable for the scarcity of testing of the end product.
Now a 2008 study out of Austria, Biological effects of transgenic maize NK603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice Forschungsberichte, suggests a possibility exists that mice with longterm exposure to GMO feed may experience negative impacts on metabolic parameters and reproduction levels.

The 1st litters in the RACB displayed no differences between the GM and ISOfeeding groups.
Comparing the 2nd litters a very slight tendency towards smaller litter size and accordingly lower average litter weight in the GM group could be observed.
In the 3rd and 4th litters the aforementioned traits became significant(p<0.05).
Apart from a decline of deliveries, in the 3rd and 4th litters significantly fewer pups were born and in the 4th litter also significantly fewer pups were weaned in the GM group.
The average litter weights were in favour of the ISO group with significant results in the 3rd litters at birth and weaning as well as in the 4th litters at birth.
But in contrast to the MGS the loss of pups was higher in the ISO group. These results substantiate the assumption that long term feeding studies with more generations are useful in studying chronic diet related effects. According to our data the RACB design was better suited than the MGS, since the differences between the feeding groups were at significant levels.
The biological phenomenon observed in the RACB trial cannot be explained by different nutrient intakes, because both diets were covering the energy and nutrient requirements and fulfilled the prerequisite of nutritional equivalence.
Lower reproduction performance can be considered as indicator for a dietary effect.
It can be speculated, that this effect was caused by a factor beyond nutrient supply.
Whether this can be related to one of the two genetic modifications in thetransgenic material or whether this is an unintended effect in the strict sense related to the stacked events has to be further evaluated......
The genomic work that was performed in the gut tissue of the mice of both groups is not indicative.
However, the high number of deregulated genes that has been identified as difference between both groups could indicate a complex nutrition-host-interaction.
This has to be further evaluated and gene expression profiles need to be considered in other organs and especially in the reproductive system.
To date, trials have not been performed on that issue in feeding studies with genetically modified corn to our best knowledge.

Which leads to the inevitable bottom line - now that Australian governments are embracing Monsanto and Co's philosophy I won't be purchasing domestic product that contains cotton seed oil, soya, canola and any other ingredient that might be sourced from a genetically modifed crop grown in this country or overseas.