GM soya released without health tests

24 May 1999

GM soya released without health tests

GENETICALLY modified (GM) soya has been released on to the world market without the safety tests necessary to protect human health, according to a story in The Guardian.

Australian independent scientists fear that the beans would have undergone major chemical changes after being sprayed with Monsantos Roundup Ready pesticide.

They are concerned that research shows that the specially designed herbicide can raise levels of phyto-oestrogens – plant chemicals which mimic human sex hormones – in certain beans.

Regulatory authorities in the USA and Britain said Monsanto was not required to test the beans after they were sprayed with Roundup before being used in hundreds of processed foods.

• The Guardian 24/05/99 page 1