Posted June 14, 2019
Jonathan Matthews, director of GMWatch, sent an open letter (excerpt below) yesterday to Kenneth Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. The letter reflects GMWatch’s continuing concern over UCS’s ongoing campaign to undermine transparency in relation to public science and its failure to rectify false claims. Read more.
Get Informed on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Glyphosate Linked to Severe Cases of Liver Disease
Posted June 14, 2019
Turns out that the primary ingredient found in the popular herbicide product, Roundup is killing more than just weeds. In fact, liver disease has become a huge concern for anyone exposed to this toxic substance. Read more.
GM Golden Rice Must be Vacuum-packed to Retain Beta-Carotene
Posted June 14, 2019
The vitamin A precursor beta-carotene is only present at low levels in GM golden rice to begin with when compared to carrots and green leafy vegetables. But it rapidly degrades to even lower levels when the rice is stored after harvest, a new study by Indian scientists has found. After just 6 months of storage in the presence of air, even at the low refrigerated temperature of 4 degrees C, the beta-carotene degraded by around 68–79%. Read more.
Former Monsanto Executive had hand in Lifting GMO/Neonics ban in Wildlife Refugees
Posted June 14, 2019
A former Monsanto executive serving as a political appointee within the US Department of the Interior used her position to further the agrochemical giant’s agenda promoting the use of bee-harming pesticides, known as neonicotinoids, and genetically modified crops (GMOs), according to filings posted by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Last August, at the urging of industry, the agency rescinded its ban on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides and GMOs within all National Wildlife Refuges. Read more.
Glyphosate Found in Popular Brands of Beer and Wine, Including Organic
Posted June 14, 2019
It seems there’s no escaping glyphosate – the primary ingredient in Roundup, a weed killer manufacture by Monsanto. In 2017, the FDA raised alarm with a bombshell report acknowledging the presence of the pesticide in everyday foods such as breakfast cereals, honey and ice cream. Now, a new report from the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG), reveals that glyphosate residue has also been found in a variety of common wines and beers sold in the United States – including those certified as organic. Read more.
Monsanto Hit with $2 Billion Damages Verdict in Third Roundup Trial
Posted May 17, 2019
After nearly two days of deliberations, the jury of five women and seven men found that it is more likely than not that Roundup was a significant contributing factor in causing Alva and Alberta Pilliod’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The jury awarded the couple $55 million in noneconomic and economic damages and hit Monsanto with $1 billion in punitive damages for each plaintiff. That’s $2.055 billion in total, a sum that doubled what the plaintiffs’ attorney suggested in closing arguments. Read more.
Breaking: Bayer Ordered to Pay $2 Billion in Damages in 3rd Roundup Cancer Trial; Is Bankruptcy On the Horizon?
Posted May 17, 2019
Today a jury in Oakland, California awarded more than $2 billion to a couple who charged that Bayer AG’s glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused their cancer. How will Bayer continue to sustain such punishment without filing bankruptcy? According to a report on Bloomberg.com, this marks the largest jury award in the U.S. this year, and the eigth-largest ever in a product-defect claim. This also marks the third such ruling, after two other recent California trials over the herbicide causing cancer yielded combined damages against Bayer AG of $159 million. Read more.
Milk and Dairy Products
Posted May 17. 2019
One of the most influential vegetarians in history was Mahatma Gandhi. A meat eater during a brief part of his early life, Gandhi intended to be a complete vegetarian (vegan) and even a fruitarian, having written, “It is my strong conviction that the human being doesn’t need milk, except for the mother’s milk he gets as a baby. His diet should consist exclusively of fruits and nuts.” Read more.
Are You Ready to Eat Gene-edited Food? It’s Arrived.
Posted May 10, 2019
EXCERPT: So let’s recap. We got a new technology moving at light speed which is guaranteed to be the new normal real soon and the feds playing catch up. And where gene-edited soybeans are being sold is a secret. Kind of a rough and bumpy beginning. Don’t you think? Read more.
Links to Cancer Shown in US Federal Draft Report on Glyphosate
Posted May 3, 2019
A draft US federal report has confirmed links between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, and some forms of cancer. The report could have a damaging impact on Bayer/Monsanto’s attempt to defend the large number of legal cases involving its weedkiller. Read more.
