Foreword / Michael Meacher
Introduction : Deceptions, assumptions, and denial
exposing the roots of genetically modified crops
Terms and concepts used throughout this book
pt. 1. The documented health risks of genetically engineered foods
Section 1 : Evidence of reactions in animals and humans
Section 2 : Gene insertion disrupts the DNA
Section 3 : The protein produced by the inserted gene may create problems
Section 4 : The foreign protein may be different than what is intended
Section 5 : Transfer of genes to gut bacteria, internal organs, or viruses
Section 6 : GM crops may increase environmental toxins and bioaccumulate toxins in the food chain
Section 7 : Other types of GM foods carry risks
Section 8 : Risks are greater for children and newborns
Connecting the dots : looking for patterns and causes
Introduction to Parts 2 and 3
pt. 2. The regulation of GM foods is inadequate to protect public health
Regulators are often hijacked by the biotech industry
Inadequate testing requirements are the norm among GM crop regulators worldwide
Lack of safeguards exposes the food supply to GM contamination.
pt. 3. Industry studies are not competent to identify most of the unpredicted side effects
The enormous pressure not to discover problems results in very few studies, most of which are poorly done
Case study : one scientist's shock with GM research
Case study : spinning failure into proclamations of success
Animal feeding studies overlook most potential problems
Compositional studies are not comprehensive enough to detect hazards
Evaluating allergenicity is not guaranteed
Case study : the blood test on StarLink's protein was flawed
Case study : irregularities marred evaluations of Monsanto's GM drug, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH)
Canadian GM food approvals are assumption-based
Chart of several safety-related assumptions that have been proven wrong
False assumptions that viral genes in disease-resistant crops won't recombine to create new viruses
pt. 4. Flaws in the arguments used to justify GM crops
Why GM crops are not needed to feed the world
Golden rice is the wrong way to supplement vitamin A
Gathering data and staying up-to-date on the risks of GM foods
How to avoid eating genetically modified foods
Food enzymes from genetically modified organisms
Special alert on aspartame, a genetically engineered sweetener
Institute for Responsible Technology
Credentials of those cited often in the text
