Evidence has emerged that transgenic oilseed rape, used to make canola oil, is interbreeding with related wild species, raising fears that herbicide-tolerance could spread among weeds.

Genetically Engineered Plants Crossbreed With Weeds

In a three-year study, researchers analyzed weed species growing in 28 fields partially sown with transgenic oilseed rape, which was genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide Liberty. They identified two plants that seem to possess characteristics of both oilseed rape and charlock, a related weed species, which suggests the two may have hybridized.

One of the two plants, which seemed to possess physical characteristics of both species, was infertile. But the other plant, which more closely resembled the charlock weed, was not only robust and fertile, but also demonstrably resistant to the Liberty herbicide.

"The Real Possibility of Superweeds"

Environmental groups are saying this is evidence that transgenes can escape into the plant community at large, and raises the possibility of fertile, herbicide-resistant weeds with unknown transgenic characteristics. Other scientists argued that the herbicide-resistant charlock could have arisen naturally, but, as a campaign spokesperson for one environmental organization put it, "We're seeing the real possibility of superweeds being created."

The findings are not unexpected: oilseed rape has previously been found to hybridize with wild turnip, and back in 2002 it was known that normal crops could be contaminated by GM varieties, making weeds impossible to control.

Nature July 25, 2005

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Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Genetically modified crops are designed by transferring genes from a plant or animal into a plant. Frequently the "goal" is to eliminate the use of pesticides and make farming more productive and affordable.

This is an amazing irony, as the very purpose these plants were designed for has now been firmly established to worsen the problem by creating weeds that can't be controlled. This isn't surprising or shocking for anyone that has been following this issue, it was actually predicted.

One of the keys to health is good food. Although most of us don't choose to do so, we can still purchase real, unaltered food in this country. Sadly, the future does not appear to provide this option.

Genetically modified foods did not exist prior to 1995. Ninety percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, and 70 percent of processed foods have genetically modified foods in them.

There have been NO STUDIES done with humans to show what happens when genetically modified foods are consumed. The FDA has ASSUMED that these modified foods are equivalent to the original foods and does not require any studies to have them approved, despite the fact that this technology has never before existed in the history of the world.

This is especially troubling in light of the United States' federal track record on genetically engineered safety, which is pathetic.

There is very little you can currently do about this problem except to be aware of it and allow your friends and relatives to be aware. More than half of the public is absolutely unaware that GM foods are rampant in grocery stores. So please forward this article to your friends and loved ones and inform them of the danger. You can easily do that by clicking on the "E-mail to a friend" hyperlink in the upper corner of this page.

The section below tells you how you can avoid GM foods in your grocery store. The only solution we have against this problem is to vote with our pocketbook and refuse to purchase any GM foods. The potential for devastation of your descendents is massive. If you love children, please do this for them and their children. It will be one of the best gifts that you can give them.

Move Toward Better Health -- Avoid GM Foods

Since it's obvious there's no telling what effects GM foods will have on your body, I believe it would be wise to try and avoid them at all costs.

To guide you in understanding the problems associated with GM foods, I strongly recommend reading the incredible series Seeds of Doubt, written by staffers at the Sacramento Bee. Additionally, the steps below will help you steer clear of GM products for good:

  • Avoid Processed Foods. As you learned, 75 percent of processed foods contain GM ingredients. There are many reasons why processed foods are not optimal for your health -- for instance they often contain trans fat,acrylamide and little nutritional value -- so avoiding them will not only help you to cut back on the amount of GM foods you are consuming, but will also boost your health.

  • Read produce and food labels. GM soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically modified crops. When looking at a product label, if any ingredients such as corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, margarine, and tofu (to name a few) are listed, there's a good chance it has come from GM corn or soy, unless it's listed as organic.

  • Buy organic produce. Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that your food has not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs.

  • Look at Produce Stickers. Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically modified. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine, and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.

    ©Copyright 2005 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.

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