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Research
Supports NCGA's Claim that Animals Are Not Affected by Biotech Corn
(5-18-01)
Currently, in the United States, all biotech corn and soybeans that
have reached the marketplace are approved for use in animal feed. But
how do those biotech crops affect the animals who eat them? According
to recent domestic and international research - nothing significant.
Jimmy Clark, a professor
of ruminant nutrition in animal sciences at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, reviewed the results from 23 research experiences
which were conducted over the past four years at universities throughout
the United States, Germany and France. In each study, separate groups
of chickens, dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep were fed either biotech
corn or soybeans or traditional corn or soybeans as a portion of their
diet.
"Each experiment
independently confirmed that there is no significant difference in the
animals' ability to digest the biotech crops and no significant difference
in weight gain, mil production, milk composition and overall health
of the animals when compared to animals fed the traditional crops,"
said Tracy Snider, manager, livestock information and programs for the
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). "Clark concluded that,
based on safety analyses required for each crop, human consumption of
milk, meat and eggs produced from animals fed genetically modified crops
should be as safe as products derived from animals fed conventional
crops."
Snider noted that
approximately 80 percent of the biotech corn produced in the United
States is used as animal feed. "Since these genetically modified
crops were grown beginning in 1996, they have been fed to livestock
and no detrimental effects have been reported," she said.
Fred Yoder, Plain
City, Ohio, farmer and chairman of the NCGA Biotech Working Group said
the research supports what NCGA has been saying all along. "For
a number of years, we've supported consumption of biotech crops as feed
because there is no evidence that the animals that eat those crops are
affected in any way," Yoder said. "In fact, most of the research
we've seen indicates any biotech traits are broken down in the animal's
gut.
Last reviewed
May 18, 2001
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