Hamburgers hide health dangers beyond high fat content.
We've known for years that a meal of hamburgers and a milkshake
isn't good for us, but now there is new cause for concern.
A study by Newcastle university for the UK Food Standards Agency
revealed genetically modified (GM) genes are showing up in human
stomach bacteria. The researchers fed seven volunteers who have had
their lower intestines removed a hamburger with GM soya and a
milkshake. The stools tested from the volunteers' colostomy bags
showed that a "relatively large portion of the genetically modified
DNA survived the passage through the small bowel."
More astonishing, this is the world's first trial of GM foods on
"I'm sorry, did you say world's first study of the effects of GM food on human
Yes, that's right. We have been eating genetically modified
organisms in our foods for years now and this is the first time
that the effects have been studied on real live human beings since
the foods were widely introduced. At least for which the results
have been published.
Yet all along, biotechnology companies have been telling
consumers - "it's safe, it's good for you" - assuming that the
genetically engineered genes would be digested and disappear like
asteroids burning up on entry into the atmosphere.
The study went further to see if this genetically modified DNA
could be transferred via bacteria in the large intestine. In
laboratory simulated gastrointestinal tracts, three of the seven
samples revealed bacteria had taken on the herbicide-resistant
gene. And this was after only one GM meal. There have
been no studies of the long term effects of introducing GM food
into people's diets.
Although no bacteria containing the herbicide tolerant gene were
obtained from the faeces of volunteers with complete digestive
systems, this study clearly demonstrates that we can get
genetically modified DNA in our stomach bacteria, something the
bio-tech companies used to deny was possible.
This research raises some pretty serious health concerns.
For years environmental and consumer groups have been
questioning the safety of bio-tech companies using
antibiotic-resistant marker genes to identify the GM cells during
Some scientists believe that eating GM food containing these
marker genes could encourage gut bacteria or oral bacteria to
develop antibiotic resistance. This new research suggests that this
could very well happen, even at very low levels after just one
The only thing we can surely conclude from this study is we
still don't know enough about the effects of GM foods on humans or
the environment. The companies making millions off this technology
have taken the attitude it is safe until it is proven unsafe, but
we must insist on a new global policy - better safe than sorry.