1998 News Listings

Study Confirms Fears of Genetic Pollution From Genetically-Engineered Crops

New study on the spread of genetically altered traits in plants confirms fears of genetic pollution

Mentmore, 18 December 1997

With the publication of new research in Germany highlighting the dangers of genetic engineering in agriculture, the Natural Law Party has repeated its call for a complete ban on all genetically altered foods since they pose great hazards for human health and the environment.

In the German state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), a detailed study by the state's Ministry for Ecology has shown convincingly that herbicide resistance that has been engineered into oilseed rape is transferred to normal rape 200 metres away [see article at http://www.holisticmed.com/ge/pollute.html].

According to London-based independent genetics scientist Dr Michael Antoniou, "This is only the latest in a long list of field trials showing that genetically engineered (GE) crops, once released, are totally uncontainable. They will become a nightmare for conventional farmers to control. For farmers who do not want to grow them, such as the organic sector, these crops will be almost impossible to avoid."

Studies published in Denmark, as well as by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, have also shown that GE oilseed rape readily cross pollinates, not only with non-engineered rape but also with wild weedy relatives (such as field mustard and radish). In these studies cross pollination was found up to 2.5 kilometres away.

"This means that herbicide resistant weeds - so-called superweeds - will rapidly appear and spread," Dr Antoniou said. "Once weeds have multiple resistance genes, which may occur within just a few growing seasons, they will be particularly difficult to control. This will result in greater dependence and use of agrochemicals, rather than less, as is claimed by the biotechnology companies."

Dr Antoniou also pointed out that "volunteers" (plants which grow from seed that has fallen from a crop at the time of harvesting) will also be herbicide resistant. This will pose a great problem for farmers who usually clear volunteers with herbicides before planting the next crop. Warning to the British government Dr Geoffrey Clements, a physicist and leader of the Natural Law Party in the UK, said that this information should be noted by the British government ministers who are now considering approving oilseed rape as the first GE crop to be grown commercially in Britain from next spring. Oilseed rape is currently the fourth most widely grown crop in Britain.

"The government must listen to the warnings and avoid being driven by short-term commercial interests," Dr Clements said. "Genetic engineering is a novel, untried, and very inexact science. Already there are numerous indications of the potential for great damage to the environment and to human health from genetically engineered foods."

Dr Clements said that in recent decades the promise of cheap power through nuclear energy was soon dashed not only by the astronomical cost of dealing with nuclear waste but also by the impracticality of storing ever-increasing quantities of radioactive material. "Those problems will seem insignificant compared to the aftermath of genetic pollution on this planet which will result if the rush to exploit the short-term profitability of GE crops is not curbed," he remarked.

Dr Clements congratulated the Ministry for Ecology in Niedersachsen, as well as the Consumers' Association, Friends of the Earth and other groups in the UK, who are bringing these issues to the awareness of the public. He also praised The Guardian newspaper for its in-depth coverage of all the issues in its Monday to Thursday editions this week.

"Every single survey has shown that wherever the public is well-informed about the issues, the vast majority are opposed to genetically engineered foods. Perfectly safe natural alternatives are readily available, and no one believes the propaganda that GE crops are essential to help feed the hungry or to secure food stocks for the future. In fact, if the GE revolution is not halted and if the balance of Nature continues to be disrupted, we could well see the worst famines and disease of all time."

More information on toxicity of genetically-engineered foods and Roundup-ready crops can be found at:

http://www.holisticmed.com/ge/

Alternative Therapies Use Common in Treating Children With and Without Cancer

In a study published in the December 1997 issue of Pediatrics, researchers found that use of Alternative Therapies was used by 65% of children cancer patients and 51% of children visiting a conventional medicine center (control group).

Alternative therapies consider were prayer (when used for healing), exercise, spiritual healing, relaxation techniques, "other", medicinal herbs, massage therapy, megavitamin therapy, imagery, folk remedies, energy healing, macrobiotic diet, self-help group, homeopathy, biofeedback, chirpractic, acupuncture, and hypnosis. Even when limiting the definition of "Alternative Therapy to therapy provided by a practitioner (and thus excluding prayer for healing, exercise and home remedies), 39% of the children in the non-cancer group used Alternative Therapies.

58% of the cancer patients and 62.5% of the non-cancer patients did not give a reason for using Alternative Therapies. Faith/Spiritual and Supplement to Conventional Medicine were given as reasons some of the patients used Alternative Therapies. Being dissatisfied with convention medicine was only cited as the primary reason in 3 out of 161 cases.

One significant limitation of this study is that it did not count patients who use primarily Alternative Therapies instead of visiting the conventional medicine clinic. This is especially an issue for the non-cancer group because a growing number of people go to a holistic md, homeopath, oriental medicine practitioner, use home remedies, etc. for treating acute illnesses (such as childhood ear infections). Not only would this raise the percentage using Alternative Therapies, but the reasons for Alternative Therapy use may be significantly effected as well.

Text of the study can be found at http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/100/6/e1.

Therapeutic Touch and Progressive Muscle Relaxation Seen as Useful to Reduce Pain in Elders With Degenerative Arthritis

In a 10-week trial comparing the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch (TT) with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) in elders with degenerative arthritis researcher Susan Eckes Peck, Ph.D. found that both TT and PMR significantly reduced baseline levels of pain and distress. 40 subjects received TT treatments and 37 received PMR treatments. The reduction was nearly equal with PMR showing slightly more pain and distress reduction than TT.

While this study did not compare TT or PMR to a control ("placebo") group, a number of studies have already shown that PMR is effective in reducing pain and distress in arthritis sufferers. Therefore, this study shows that TT treatment is nearly as effective as PMR treatments.

The author points out that both TT and PMR can be used in "practice settings for chronic conditions requiring multiple treatments." PMR can be taught to some patients so that they can practice on their own. However, for patients not able to practice PMR on their own or who have difficulty following through with self-guided PMR, TT treatments by a practitioner can be helpful.

One must keep in mind that this study focused on TT and PMR only and did not consider the benefits of concurrent changes in diet, lifestyle, or concurrent holistic treatment programs. Such a holistic healing programs can be quite helpful in curing arthritic conditions.

The study appeared in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, Volume 15, No. 2, pages 176-198, June 1997.

Oprah's 'Mad Cow' Trial Starts Jan. 20 in Texas
A Jury Will Decide a Historic Test of 'Food Disparagement Laws'

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and her guest Howard Lyman will be in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas on Jan. 20th defending their free speech rights against a novel lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen. The cattlemen allege that an April 16, 1996, Oprah Winfrey Show violated a new Texas law forbidding 'food disparagement' when it aired a discussion of human deaths from British mad cow disease and related risks in the United States.

The offending program was in fact a serious, balanced debate among representatives of the meat industry, government and consumers. To read what Oprah and her guests said, see "Shut Up and Eat: Food Censorship Arrives in America," a special report in the 2nd Quarter 1997 issue of PR Watch, which investigates industry efforts to censor public debates. It is available on the world-wide web at http://www.prwatch.org/97-Q2/TOC.html.

A nationally coordinated campaign by the food industry has succeeded in enacting food disparagement laws in thirteen states. The Oprah Winfrey trial will a crucial first test of the constitutionality of the new laws.

Critics note that food disparagement laws undermine first amendment rights by shifting the burden of proof to those who discuss or investigate food issues. The laws enable industry to sue or intimidate anyone who speaks or writes about mad cow disease, e.coli deaths, salmonella poisoning, genetically engineered crops and animals, hormones, antibiotics, factory farming, pesticides, toxins in fertilizers and other controversies.

PR Watch editors John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton view food disparagement laws as a dangerous threat to public health, food safety, free speech, open debate and the public's right-to-know. If someone as popular and powerful as Oprah Winfrey can be muzzled by the meat industry, what chance do 'typical' citizens and journalists have to fully exercise their first amendment rights?

Stauber and Rampton are also authors of the new book, "Mad Cow U.S.A.: Could the Nightmare Happen Here?" which examines in depth the Oprah case and food disparagement laws. For more information, visit the website of the Center for Media & Democracy at http://www.prwatch.org.

Environmental Medicine Doctor on Trial

STARTLING EXAMPLES OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY THE COLLEGE

REVEALED DURING EMOTIONAL DAY OF TESTIMONY

TORONTO -- An emotional day of testimony by accused physician Jozef Krop, M.D. concluded Thursday with startling evidence of illegal activities by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Clear examples of entrapment and deception were present in letters between the College and its investigative team and between the College and patients of Dr. Krop. Defence Counsel Morris Manning argued that the "totality of the circumstances" between 1989 and 1994 demonstrate that an abuse of process occurred in respect to the investigation, notice of a discipline hearing and finally, the charges laid against Dr. Krop.

Despite attempts by the prosecution to obstruct every attempt to table evidence of abuse of process, Mr. Manning introduced evidence to the discipline panel to show that: Dr. Krop was purposefully deceived regarding the scope and seriousness of the investigation into his practice; Dr. Krop was not informed that a prosecution was being prepared for a discipline hearing against him; patients in Dr. Krop's seized charts were contacted under false pretences; and, that knowing their case was weak, the College explored other illegal avenues to entrap Dr. Krop.

In a January 25, 1993 letter to Dr. D.K. MacFadden, the physician appointed by the College to investigate Dr. Krop, College Prosecutor Richard Steinecke confirmed that a decision had already been made by the College to prosecute Dr. Krop. Steinecke outlined a plan to entrap Dr. Krop during interviews with Dr. MacFadden scheduled by the College in February and March 1993. Dr. Krop was not informed of the decision to prosecute him or that anything he said in these interviews could be used against him in a disciplinary hearing, a basic right of due process and common law. Dr. Krop described a friendly "colleague-to-colleague" relationship that was fostered by Dr. MacFadden during these interviews to review six of the seized charts, where the two physicians openly and amicably exchanged views.

Defence Counsel Manning argued that this environment of peer respect amounted to a dupe to have Dr. Krop lower his defences. In fact, another letter introduced into evidence states: "...Dr. MacFadden has re-interviewed Dr. Krop at my request to review potential defences that Dr. Krop may have. We wanted to determine whether there is any substance to those defences so that Dr. MacFadden would not be caught unaware on cross-examination..." (July 5, 1993, R. Steinecke to L. Tunney). Dr. Krop testified that he only became aware that the College was planning to bring him before a discipline panel in August 1994 and that he felt "totally shocked and confused" when he received the Notice of Hearing. Dr. MacFadden was later withdrawn by the prosecution as a witness.

In fact, four letters to the College from Dr. Krop's previous counsel throughout 1993 show his impatience with the investigation and point out Dr. Krop's extensive cooperation and desire for resolution. Unfortunately, none of those letters were answered.

Mr. Manning read another damning letter from the College in March 1994 to one of the six patients in Dr. Krop's seized files. The letter claimed that the College was making inquiries into some of its members who practice environmental medicine to evaluate their standards. The letter identified the addressee as a former patient of one of the physicians being evaluated, and asked the patient to contact the CPSO as soon as possible. The letter did not name any physicians nor did it reference the prosecution or disciplinary action against any physician.

Mr. Manning argued that either the CPSO was truly making a general inquiry into the practice of environmental medicine or that this letter was a deceptive approach to contacting a former patient of Dr. Krop's, whose chart was in the possession of the CPSO (a fact hidden from the patient). When asked, Dr. Krop was not aware of the College undertaking a formal review of other environmental physicians to evaluate standards of medicine. Therefore, Mr. Manning argued, the letter was a deception and the College had further abused the discipline process. The discipline hearing panel refused to allow this letter into evidence.

A July 5, 1993 letter from College Prosecutor Steinecke to Leah Tunney stated that "the College does not have a solid case at this point" and outlined various options to consider for further entrapment. A suggestion by Steinecke to "search for a clear standard of practice violation" seems to confirm Mr. Manning's claim at the outset of the hearing in 1995 that the College was on a "fishing expedition." The letter also expressed the concern that the "case has a high negative publicity potential."

One shocking option Steinecke suggests to the Executive Committee is to "Establish in a scientific study, the uselessness of the 'vega' machine and then tell Dr. Krop that he must stop using it. Any subsequent use of the machine [by Dr. Krop] may then be worthy of discipline." This is a clear example of the lengths to which the College is prepared to go -- even to initiating a fraudulent scientific study -- to win its case against Dr. Krop

Dr. Krop was charged by the CPSO in 1995 with professional misconduct, failing to maintain the standard of practice and incompetence. The charges were not based on patient complaints and the testimony of more than seven weeks of hearings demonstrates that the entire case was aimed at "dealing" with physicians who practice environmental medicine "once and for all" as stated in a 1989 CPSO internal memo by John Carlisle, Deputy Registrar. This case is vitally important to the overall rights of physicians to practice safe and effective medicine and the rights of citizens to choose the type of medicine they want.

This portion of Dr. Krop's discipline hearing met from January 19 to 22. It will resume on Saturday and Sunday, January 24 and 25. By its conclusion, the hearing will have taken over 40 days at a cost to the College of $25,000 per hearing day. The costs to Dr. Krop, who is being aided by fund-raising, are already over $500,000.

For more information, contact: Rich Patterson rpatters@sympatico.ca

Amalgam Fillings: Scientific Consensus Reached That Amalgams Fillings May Cause Brain Damage and Other Damage in Children; Largest Class Action Suit in Canada Set to Begin

On February, 19, 1998 a concensus was reached amongst Sweden's foremost experts on mercury amalgam fillings that mercury from amalgam fillings may be cause damage to the brain, immune system, and kidneys of many people. Damage to the fetus from the mercury given of by the amalgam fillings of the mother was one of the major concerns of the scientists. (It should be noted that in some cases effects from mercury damage can be subtle and may not show up for a number of years since mercury is a cumulative poison.) Sweden is moving quickly to ban the use of mercury amalgam fillings. This scientific consensus has been reached largely because of a number of recent scientific studies implicating mercury amalgam fillings in health problems.

On March 31, 1998 a class action lawsuit will be filed in Canada pertaining to the use of mercury amalgam fillings. It is expected to be largest class action lawsuit in Canadian history. The reason for this lawsuit is that the Canadian government knew that mercury amalgam fillings represented a hazard to Canadian citizens but chose to hide that fact:

"Since 1976, Health Canada scientists have performed four risk assessment studies on mercury dental amalgam exposure. All four studies concluded a potential health risk to Canadian Dental Patients."
"As early as August 31,1976, Dr. Pierre Blais (at that time an employee of Health Canada, Medical Devices Bureau) raised serious concerns about mercury exposure from dental 'silver/mercury fillings' in an internal government document. Dr. Blais stated that 'the potential hazards with the product [silver/mercury fillings] are so transparently obvious that we [Government of Canada] cannot even appear to ignore it without attracting ridicule...'. Yet ignore it they did for 20 years, even though 4 subsequent internal Health Canada documents raised similar strong concerns! (Chawla & Karov: July 10, 1991; Karov, May 5, 1993; Sinclair, July 15, 1994 and Richardson, August 18, 1995.)"
"Correspondence has been discovered between officials of Health Canada and the Canadian Dental Association regarding the need to exempt dental amalgam from the Medical Devices Act in order to protect the manufacturers of amalgam. These facts were publicly exposed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on February 23, 1997. At that time this assertion was verified by Health Canada. So far Health Canada has not fulfilled it's obligation to the Canadian Public by regulating mercury dental amalgam."

Most Canadian citizens may qualify for the class action lawsuit. In order to find out more and sign up, please see the Canadians for Mercury Relief Press Release. To find out more about the toxicity of and replacement of mercury amalgam fillings, see the Mercury Amalgam Web Page.

Drugs stores begin to sell herbs and doctors use herbal medicines

The MSNBC web site recently reported that natural products such as herbal medicines can now be found in many drug stores. The report goes on to state that healthcare practitioners commonly use such products but often do not prescribe them to their patients because they are not considered "standard care."

In order to find out how to properly use herbs medicinally, please see the Readers' Top Ten Lists on the Herbal Bookworm web page. This will help you locate the very best Herbal Medicine references.

Journal of the American Medical Association Published Alternative Medicine Articles

In the March 4, 1998 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assocation (JAMA), there were three (3) articles and an Editor's Note published in "Pulse," the Medical Student Section of JAMA. Given the history of published attacks on and inaccurate articles about alternative medicine, some may have expected more of the same. But much to the surprise of this writer, the articles were fairly well-researched and reasonably balanced.

The first article was "Homeopathy: Another Tool in the Bag" by Megan A. Johnson of the George Washington University School of Medicine. The article briefly outlined the principals of Homeopathy and discussed how patients are diagnosed and treated. Obstacles to the acceptance of Homeopathy were discussed including licensing laws in various states, inconsistency of training, and insurance company reimbursement issues. The article ends with statements to the effect that Homeopathy has the potential to be a useful tool for a more complete therapy. It was a well-written article. However, it may be some time before I recover from the shock of seeing a summary of Homeopathy in the allopathic literature that didn't use the words "wacko", "looney", "quack", or "con-artist". :-)

The second article entitled, "Alternative Medicine and the Conventional Practitioner" was written by Dr. Wayne Jonas, Director of the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine. The article consisted of an overview of the current status and popularity of "Complimentary and Alternative Medicine" (CAM), the role for the conventional practitioner in CAM, medical education in CAM, and information related to the projects funded by the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine. This was an excellent, albeit short summary of CAM practice in the U.S. There are a couple of concerns I have about this article, however. A significant number of "alternative medicine" practitioners use "Holistic Medicine" in their practice. "Holistic Medicine Is quite different than "Alternative Medicine" as seen in the definations section and the fundamentals section of the Holistic Healing Web Page. In addition, some of the risks briefly described in the article appear to be very rare, but that fact was not stated.

The final article was entitled, "Complementary Medicine in the Surgical Wards" by Mehmet C. Oz, MD, Gerard C. Whitworth, RN, CCP, and Eric H. Liu from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The article provide a brief overview of the Complementary Medicine Program within the Cardiac Surgery Department at Columbia University. The authors state that 40% of the 1,400 cardiac care patients use these services per year. The modalities offered by this program include: Music Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Nutrition, Massage and Reflexology, Yoga, Aromatherapy, and Therapeutic Touch.

More than most other articles about alternative medicine which appear in allopathic journals, it appears that these authors have acquired a basic understanding of how to use various natural healing modalities on a clinical basis. Some allopathic practitioners are under the impression that holistic healing amounts to simply taking an herb or practicing yoga or using one of a multitude of modalities. These practitioners have clearly begun to develop experience combining appropriate modalities and healing fundamentals into a healing program. Such abilities comes from having an open mind and practical experience. One would hope that these physcians would continue to refine their developing expertise with the above-mentioned modalities and begin to incorporate other healing fundamentals and modalities into their practice when needed.

One interesting quote from this article was, "In 1997, 10 extremely skeptical patients found therapeutic touch [a type of energy healing] to be remarkably helpful and have supported continued research and use of this treatment." In is useful to note thatresearch has already shown the potential benefits of therapeutic touch in the treatment of pain.

Therapeutic Touch: Experts Detail Major Flaws in 9-Year-Old's Science Project Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

In the April, 1998 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association an aritcle based on a science project of a 9-year-old Emily Rosa student to have "debunked" the very popular energy healing modality, Therapeutic Touch. Co-authors of the article included Emily's parents who are members of the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) (an organization with a long history of attacking Alternative Medicine and Therapeutic Touch) and Stephen Barrett, MD of Quackwatch, Inc. The lead author of the study has stated that Therapeutic Touch "is being promoted principally to have people tacitly accept the premises of an occult religion known as Theosophy."

The student recruited Therapeutic Touch practitioners to see if they could sense her energy field (with their eyes behind a screen) and then guess which hand they were sensing. The practitioners were only successful in this guessing-game 41% of the time, or less than what would be expected by mere chance.

For a 9-year-old, it was a fairly impressive study. However, experts have pointed out that this study does not even study Therapeutic Touch at all. Not only does the study not look at the health effects of Therapeutic Touch on patients, but several crucial techniques of Therapeutic Touch seen in clinical practice were not built into the study. In addition, several key studies showing positive effects from Therapeutic Touch were left out of the review section of the study. A more detailed analysis of the study can be found in the Official Response from Healing Touch International.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this research is that the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published it and then published an editorial stating that Therapeutic Touch should not be used professionally. It is possible that JAMA may need to seek a few Editors with expertise in various aspects of Alternative Medicine in order to properly screen such research in the future.

Organic Farming Show 15% Higher Gross Margins Than Farming With Pesticides & Herbicides

15% Higher Gross Margins from Organic Farming. Source Farmers Guardian (UK):

A study prepared by the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom examined the socio-economic and environmental consequences of converting to organic farming. It found that such a conversion would bring long-term financial and environmental benefits. The research further concluded the organic farmers can obtain gross margins of 15% higher than farmers using pesticides and herbicides. The study was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Natural Enviromental Research Council.

Chronic, Low-Dose Exposure to Fluoride in Water Contributes to Damage in Brain Tissue

A study published in Brain Research shows that rats drinking only 1 part per million fluoride (NaF) in water had histologic lesions in their brain similar to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. In addition, evidence was seen pointing to possible damage to the blood brain barrier from extended fluoride exposure. This study was the third in a series of papers published by Varner et al. Brain Research Vol. 784 No. 12 p 284-298 (1998).

This study follows a 1995 study by Phyllis Mullenix which showed that relatively low blood levels of fluoride in animals causes behavior problems. The offspring of the pregnent rodents given fluoride suffered from ADD-like hyperactivity. The young rodents given fluoride were lethargic. Two subsequent epidemiological studies showed that children exposed to fluoride had lower IQ's than those exposed to lower levels.

These recent studies and other research showing genetic damage, immunological damage, cancer, increased hip fractures, increased susceptibility to repetitive stress injury, no significant beneficial effects, etc., have very serious implications for the health of the general population exposed to fluoride from water (cooking, drinking), toothpaste, and tablets. Because of the serious long-term damage that can occur from fluoride, over 1600 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists, legal experts and others from the National Federation of Federal Employees local 2050 voted unanimously to oppose the use of fluoride in water.

A scientific risk assessment symposium was held in June of 1988 to re-evaluation the potential damage from ingestion of fluoride compounds. More information about fluoride and health effects can be found on the Holistic Healing Web Page's Fluoride Web Page and the extensive web page Fluoride: Protected Pollutant or Panacea?.

Experimental Evidence Seen of Plant Meridian System

A study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine in late 1997 provides evidence that plants may have a meridian system. Meridians are channels or pathways in an organism where energy force (Qi) flows. Specific points along meridians are used when placing acupuncture needles to treat specific conditions. In this experiment, the use of acupuncture needles on Kentucky pole bean plants had a significant effect on the movement of shoots of the plant.

Electrodermal Testing Found Effective for Diagnosing Allergies

Researchers at the University Department of Medicine of the Southampton General Hospital, England, conducted a randomized double-blind experiment to examine the effectiveness of electrodermal testing for differentiating between allergic and nonallergic substances.

In the first part of the experiment, 17 allergic patients were tested with electrodermal testing to differentiate between allergens, dust mites and histamine and nonallergens saline and water. The testing procedure was correct 82% of the time. In the section part of the experiment, 24 allergic patients had electrodermal testing performed to discriminate between allergic and nonallergic substances. The testing was accurate 96% of the time.

The researchers conclude that Electrodermal Testing is a "testing is a reliable method of differentiating between allergic and nonallergic substances in the context of our study." The study was published in J Altern Complement Med, 1997 Fall; 3 (3): 241-8.

Use of Alternative Medicine in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

In a study published in Germany in December 1997, 129 Multiple Sclerosis patients were asked to fill out an anonymous questionairre about their use of Alternative Medicine. The patients had been former inpatients "who had multiple sclerosis diagnosed by typical clinical and laboratory findings." Of the 129 patients, 82 (or 63.6%) have been using alternative therapies. Some of the patients had used up to nine (9) different methods. The most popular methods (in order of popularity) were found to be relaxation therapies such as yoga (n=38), homeopathy (n=35), herbalism (n=32), and diet therapy (n=21). Most of the patients felt that alternative treatment was having a positive effect, but they did not inform their general practitioner or neurologist about it. The study was published in Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr, 1997 Dec; 65 (12): 555-61.

Study Shows Use of Natural Healing Treatments Growing in Popularity

A new nationwide survey in the U.S. by Landmark Healthcare, Inc. has found that approximately 42% of Americans used Alternative Medicine in the last year. The survey included interviews with 1,500 randomly-sampled adults who had some form of health insurance or health care plan.

Other findings include:

33% of consumers believe that Alternative Care demand will be strong. 38% of consumers believe that Alternative Care demand will be moderate.
40% of respondants say that their attitude toward Alternative Care has become more positive and only 2% have said that their attitude has become more negative.
77% of respondants believe that access to Alternative Care is either somewhat important or very important when choosing a health care plan.
Herbal Therapy, Chiropractic, and Massage Therapy topped the list of popular treatments. Homeopathy, Yoga and Acupressure were also fairly popular.

More details about the Landmark Healthcare study can be found on their web site at http://www.LandmarkHealthcare.com/.

Investigative Journalists Report on Potential Carcinogen in Non-Organic Dairy Created with the use of Monsanto's artificial hormone rBGH. Suit filed Against Florida-based TV station for Blocking Broadcast of Story

Investigative reporters Steve Wilson and Jane Akre filed suit against FOX-owned WTVT Channel 13 in Tampa, Florida for firing them after they refused to broadcast false and slanted stories about Monsanto's genetically-manipulated dairy cow hormone, rBGH. The reporters also claim that the TV station refused to broadcast the rBGH story for more than one year and may never broadcast the story. The TV station denies these charges.

There is growing scientific evidence of potential increased breast, colon, and prostate cancer risk from the use of non-organic dairy foods made by injecting cows with Monsanto's rBGH hormone. A Cancer Preventiion Coalition press release outlines the way dairy from rBGH-injected cows may speed human cancer growth. Other scientific information can be found on the rBGH web page. Since Monsanto has fought labelling, the safest way to avoid contaminated dairy is to shop for organic dairy.

The reporters have put together a web page related to their rBGH story and the lawsuit at http://www.foxBGHsuit.com/. Included on their excellent web page is text of their intended broadcast which discusses not only rBGH risks, but the other key aspects of the story. In addition, the web page includes news clips, FAQs, and links to sources of information on this and related issues.

FDA Orders Destruction of Stevia Books: Book Burning Lives at the FDA

On May 20, 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the destuction of 2,500 books about the herbal sweetener stevia. A small company in Arlington Texas, Stevita, Co., was visited by the FDA and forced to stop selling stevia and books that mention that stevia can be used as a sweetener.

The Stevia Story by Linda & Bill Bonvie and Donna Gates was amongst the popular stevia books which came under FDA attack. According to the FDA order, "The presence of these publications renders stevia adulterated and unsafe for public consumption." Some have now questioned whether the FDA is now promoting "book burning" as a way to attack herbal products.

Stevia is widely-used as a no-calorie herbal sweetener -- a replacement for sugar and for the more toxic artificial sweeteners such as aspartame/neotame (NutraSweet). Stevia has been used for centuries without adverse reactions and it is said to be particularly helpful for diabetics. Extensive independent laboratory studies have shown no danger from stevia use.

The use of stevia as a sweetener is common in Japan, Korea, and South America. Because people are getting off of artificial sweeteners, stevia's popularity is growing rapidly in the United States. However, the FDA continues to try prevent stevia from being used as a sweetener with actions that many assume are intended to protect Monsanto, the manufacturer of aspartame/neotame.

Stevia Resources

There are many companies selling high-quality stevia products. A listing of a selection of those vendors can be found on the "Healthier Sweetener Resource List" at:

http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/

The above-mentioned web page includes detailed scientific and general information about stevia.

Information about the book, The Stevia Story can be found at:

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~boncom/steviastory.htm

The Stevita Co. web page can be found at:

http://www.fastlane.net/~petro/stevia.htm

Information about the toxicity of aspartame (NutraSweet), sucralose and acesulfame-k can be found on the Aspartame (NutraSweet) Toxicity Information Center web page at:

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

1st "No-GE" (non-genetically engineered) Product in US

Here's an exciting email from Judy Kew in Austin (about one page of formatted text):

Hain's Bearitos Corn Chips bears a white circle saying "NO Genetically Engineered Ingredients."
A red ring around it says "PURE FOOD" at the top of the ring and at the bottom. The label is at the bottom right of the front of the package. A bear with a red kerchief and a cup appears to be pointing out the label.

On the back is a smaller version along with more information: "WHAT OUR PURE FOOD SYMBOL MEANS TO YOU

This is our assurance to you that Bearitos Tortilla Chips do not contain ingredients that have been genetically engineered. Although GEOs, genetically engineered organisms, may have been part of our meals for the past 20 years, we believe that those food products need to be labeled so that consumers may make a choice. For a pamphlet about GEOs, please send a SASE to: Hain GEO Info, P.O. Box 48006, Gardena, CA 90248

I saw this at the Westbrae / Hain booth at a Natural Health Food Conference last weekend and made a very big deal about it. One of the men in charge said they were working with Mothers For Natural Law and that they used to use corn oil to fry their organic corn chips. So they switched to expeller pressed oleic safflower oil in order to be non-GE. (As you may know, organic processed foods can have up to 5% non-organic ingredients, so, though the corn is organic, the oil most chip manufacturers use is not organic.)

He gave me a package (they were delicious -- probably fresher than chips I get in stores) and I took it around to some of the booths that could easily qualify for the label. Everyone of them got excited about it. The show was closing for the day so I wasn't able to hit too many. One small Mom and Pop manufacturer (of Joy Soy drinks) from Tennessee spoke with Jane Martin at the Mothers for Natural Law booth then and there.

It turns out that the founder of MNL, Laura Ticcati, had appointments set up for that evening and the next day with many others. One was the distributor (with "Rainbow" in its name) of some great organic products, such as Santa Cruz (which makes organic soda pop and juices), and an incredible baby food that literally has nothing in it but the organic vegetable or fruit. (Santa Cruz organic pop is a favorite of mine, because until I found them there was no pop I would drink. I stopped drinking Blue Sky when it began using high fructose corn syrup, which is doubly genetically engineered -- 1) the corn in the corn syrup, 2) "high fructose" means that genetically engineered enzymes were used.)

One of the Mothers for Natural Law's thrusts has been to work with manufacturers to become non-GE by helping them to source non-GE ingredients, which is one of manufacturers' biggest problems. (I think another problem is that they have to build new equipment because the GE stuff remains in the old equipment.) So, we need to support and congratulate the companies that make the effort to be non-GE.

Several big name Natural Food companies have signed on with the Mothers to become non-GE. And the first supplement company, NOW, has recently joined in their effort.

Getting a supplement company to be non-GE will be a daunting task because, I believe, there are no non-GE alternatives to the GE enzymes and processing agents that supplement manufacturers use. I have heard that there is one company that manufacturers their own supplements and may not be GE -- Hanna Kroeger's products out of Boulder, CO. If anyone knows of any others, I am sure the Mothers and the rest of us would like to know about them.

The names of the companies who have signed on may be at the Mother's new website, along with sourcing information: http://www.safe-food.org/.

First Ever Organic Cotton Directory Now Available

Subject: Organic Cotton Directory Available
July 16, 1998

GREENFIELD, MA-The Organic Trade Association's Fiber Council, in collaboration with the Pesticide Action Network, is offering the first-ever Organic Cotton Directory--a comprehensive guide for organic cotton companies and their products. More than 125 companies listed offer an exciting range of organic cotton products for men, women, children and infants: apparel, sportswear, undergarments, sleep wear, personal hygiene items, tampons, diapers, bed and bath linens, sheets, toys and much more! Indexes ensure quick access to every day organic cotton products and the companies that sell them.

The Directory contains listings and complete contact information for organic cotton growers, brokers, mills, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers providing a complete networking tool for the growing organic cotton industry. The Directory also includes hard-to-find information on the organic cotton market, world acreage and the environmental and human health problems associated with conventional cotton production.

New strategies adopted by the apparel industry, such as blending organic with conventional cotton, are stimulating a renewed demand for organic cotton, which is currently at an all-time high. Acreage estimates for the 1998 organic cotton crop are up by 11% to more than 10,000 acres. Organic cotton farmers use natural farming methods such as crop rotations, cover crops and compost to build soil fertility and beneficial insects to manage pests. By choosing organic cotton, consumers can make a difference in how cotton is grown in the U.S.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association representing the organic industry in the United States and Canada. OTA's 750 members include growers, processors, shippers, retailers, certification organizations, and others involved in the business of producing and selling organic products. The Organic Trade Association's Fiber Council (OFC) represents all sectors within the organic fiber industry, including organic cotton farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers involved in the organic fiber industry. Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is an international organization working to replace toxic pesticides with ecologically-sound alternatives. PAN promotes organic cotton by generating consumer awareness around pesticide use in cotton and its impact on human health and the environment.

Cost & Ordering Information
Non-OTA members: $15, plus $3 shipping and handling (Massachusetts residents add $0.75 sales tax). Shipping and handling for Western Europe is $6, Australia $6.50, Canada ($3)

OTA members: $10, plus $3 shipping and handling (Massachusetts residents add $0.50 sales tax). Same international s&h rates.

Phone orders:

Tel: 413-774-7511v
Fax: 413-774-6432

MSG Sprayed on Crops

CONTACT: Jack L. Samuels
(619) 481-9333
adandjack@aol.com
http://www.truthinlabeling.org

MSG SPRAYED ON CROPS

July 22, 1998 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been asked to rescind a recent action that allows processed free glutamic acid (MSG) to be sprayed on vegetation, including growing fruits and vegetables. In a separate letter, dated July 22, 1998, Auxein Corporation, Lansing, Michigan, has been asked to withdraw their product, Auxigro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (Auxigro), from the market immediately, and to notify farmers to stop using the product.

Auxigro, which contains approximately 30% MSG, may be sprayed, at times by airplane, on crops of snap beans, lettuce, peanuts, tomatoes, and potatoes. It's use will soon be expanded to other crops, unless it's use is stopped.

It is acknowledged that sprayed fruits and vegetables that come to market may contain residual amounts of free glutamic acid. There is no reason to believe that the product will not also affect groundwater and drinking water.

Concern was expressed by the Truth in Labeling Campaign (TLC) and its president, Jack L. Samuels, that the MSG residual on treated fruits and vegetables poses a danger to humans, farm animals, and wild life. TLC is a nonprofit organization concerned with undisclosed use of MSG in food.

According to Samuels "The millions of humans who suffer adverse reactions to processed free glutamic acid (MSG), particularly those who suffer life- threatening and/or debilitating reactions, and who react to minute amounts of the substance, may be exposed daily to undeclared amounts of the very substance that can kill or debilitate them."

The EPA's action has exempted glutamic acid from the requirement of a tolerance on all raw agricultural commodities, allowing the amount of MSG residue on fruits and vegetables to be unlimited (Sec. 180.1187 - Code of Federal Regulations) .

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MSG is known to trigger migraine headache, tachycardia, arrhythmia, seizures, asthma, nausea and vomiting, hives, skin rash, anxiety attacks, depression and much, much more in people who have become sensitive to it. It causes gross obesity and learning disorders in laboratory animals that ingest it when young. You can read about what it is, what it does, and where it's hidden IN food on our Web site: http://www.truthinlabeling.org But now that spraying MSG ON agricultural products as they grow has been approved, ANY fresh food may have some residual MSG on it, and processed food made from fresh fruit or vegetables may have MSG in it, too. Baby food, largely free of MSG since the late 1970's, will now have MSG in it. Processed food will now have more MSG in it than it did before. And there may be MSG residue on every tomato, cucumber, strawberry, leaf of lettuce, or peanut that you eat, as well as on every other fresh fruit, grain or vegetable.

We think you should be concerned. This is a new EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) approval, effective February 6, 1998. We are asking that the approval be rescinded. Being told by the EPA that it is OUR responsibility to demonstrate that residue from spraying MSG on produce while it's growing is a potential health hazard, and interpreting that to mean that the EPA will not look into the matter without extreme pressure, we have provided them more than sufficient material to demonstrate the MSG places humans at risk. We have also written to the producer, Auxein Corporation, informing them that their product is potentially toxic, and asking them to withdraw it from the market.

But if no one but Jack Samuels lets the EPA know they don't want MSG sprayed on food, the approval won't be rescinded. And unless the producers, who must see millions of dollars in profits down the road, really didn't know the product is harmful, or is scared silly by the threat of potential law suits, they might not be the least bit concerned. Whether or not you think that you, your parents, your children, your grandchildren or your animals (where reactions are most often manifested as skin rash) are sensitive to MSG, we can't believe that anyone would want it sprayed on their food while it's growing.

If you think it's wrong to spray MSG on fruit and vegetable crops, please register your concern by contacting Dr. Lynn Goldman at the EPA at the address or numbers below; by forwarding a copy of this e-mail to everyone you know; and by sending a copy of the press release to each of your local papers. (Advertisers and boards of directors of the larger papers seem to discourage articles that criticize MSG.) Dr. Goldman can be reached as follows:

Lynn Goldman, M.D.
Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460

Phone: 202/260-2902
Fax: 202/260-1847
E-mail c/o Douglas Parsons: parsons.douglas@epamail.epa.gov.

Olestra Hazards Seen in Independent Research

A independent study of ingestion of the new artificial fat, olestra (sucrose polyester), was completed in Cambridge, England. Almost one-third (1/3) of the volunteers experienced significant bowel problems after three months of normal use. In addition, the volunteers experienced a profound drop in the blood levels of six carotenoids measured. Carotenoids are believed to protect against cancer and other diseases. In addition, the volunteers experienced a drop in Vitamin E levels. If these effects are seen after only three months of olestra use, the long-range consequences of perhaps increased cancers or damage to the bowel is a major concern.

The study raises the isssue of the importance of completely independent research. The results of this independent research differ markedly from studies funded by the manufacturer, Proctor & Gamble. The results also seem to reflect the seriousness of the adverse reactions reported by the general population.

Further details about olestra can be found on the CSPI web page.

Medical Center Allows Complementary Healers into Operator Rooms

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire allow a Reiki (energy healing) practitioner to accompany a patient into the operating room during a surgical laparoscopic procedure. Specific requirements were met to allow this visit, including (but not limited to) the signing of waivers and consent statements.

The procedure went fine. The patient didn't require any post-operative pain medication. She was grateful that she could have the procedure done at a place with open-minded practitioners and where she could get her needs met. At a two-week phone followup, the patient expressed her pleasure at the outcome and attributed the successful outcome to the care and the Reiki practitioner.

Source: AORN Journal (March 1998, Vol. 67, No. 3, Pg. 674-675).

Acupuncture Appears to be Effective in Treating Dental Pain

A review in the British Dental Journal 16 controlled human trials of acupuncture for the treatment of dental pain were analyzed. Out of the 16 trials, 12 showed benefits of acupuncture and 4 showed no positive results.

Eight (8) of the 16 trials were blinded and randomized in an attempt to produce more conclusive results. Seven (7) of these trials showed that acupuncture reduces dental pain.

The data suggest that acupuncture "is effective in alleviating pain either during dental operations, following surgery or during experimentally induced dental pain in human volunteers." The researchers call for further investigations to determine the "optimal acupuncture technique and its relative efficacy compared with conventional methods of analgesia.

Source: British Dental Journal, Vol. 184, No. 9, Pg. 443-447, 1998.

Acupuncture Reduces Childbirth Pain and Duration of Labor

A group of 90 pregnent women were given acupunture treatment. A control group of 90 pregnent women were not given acupuncture. The experiment was conducted to see if acupuncture reduced the need for pain medication during childbirth.

58% of the women given acupuncture managed their deliveries without the need for pain medications, while only 13% of the women not given acupuncture were able to avoid pain medication. This demonstrates that acupuncture treatment significantly reduces the need for pain medications during childbirth. 94% of the women given acupuncture said that they would consider using acupuncture in future deliveries.

A group of 40 women given prenatal acupuncture treatment were match with 40 women not given this treatment to see if acupuncture reduces the duration of labor. The acupuncture-treated women had an average shorter duration of labor of 138.8 minutes. There was no reduction seen in the incidence of maternal birth injuries (e.g., episiotomy) because of acupuncture. The researchers conclude that they "found that prenatal acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the duration of labor and may be proposed as a valuable tool in prenatal preparation.

Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vol. 92, No. 2, Pg. 245-248.

Secret Canadian Govt. Study Reveals Serious Faults With Research of Monsanto's Genetically-Engineered Bovine Growth Hormone Given to Dairy Cows

Numerous reports have come out warning about serious potential dangers from long-term exposure to milk produced from cows given Monsanto's rBGH. A scientist used recent research on prostate and breast cancer to show that long-term exposure to milk from rBGH-treated cows may speed the growths of these cancers. (See http://www.holisticmed.com/bgh/prostate.html.) Other reviews: 1 and 2 and a statement from a retired cancer researcher points to the same conclusion.

It was recently discovered that five scientists in Canada were being strongly pressured into approving the use of rBGH in dairy cows. (rBGH was banned in Canada and there is a moratorium in Europe.) The five scientists prepared a report on rBGH which was subsequently hidden from public view and not released to the Canadian Senate.

At the heart of this report is evidence that the FDA misrepresented the results of an important test for human safety. The FDA scientists stated that "no toxicological effects [from BGH] were found" in the test animals. But when these scientists analyzed the data they found that the animals suffered from throid cysts and infiltration in the prostate and had antibody responses to the rBGH. It is of note that these responses were seen in short-term studies. No long-term studies were conducted.

Secret Government Report: http://www.nfu.ca/nfu/Gapsreport.html.

Chinese Medicine Patients in U.S. Satisfied With Treatment

ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Chinese medicine is growing in popularity and offers an important alternative or complement to biomedical care, but little is known of who uses it or why they purchase it. This article reports the first in-depth, large- scale (n = 575) survey of United States acupuncture users.
DESIGN
An anonymous mixed quantitative-qualitative survey questionnaire assessed user demographics, Chinese medicine modalities used, complaints, response to care, other health- care used, and satisfaction with care in six general-service clinics in five states.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
The user demographic picture was of mid-age, well-educated, employed, mid-income patients. They sought care for a wide variety of conditions; top uses were for relief of musculoskeletal dysfunction, mood care, and wellness care. A large majority reported "disappearance" or "improvement" of symptoms, improved quality of life, and reduced use of selected measures including prescription drugs and surgery. Respondents reported utilizing a wide array of practices in addition to Chinese medicine, while also expressing extremely high satisfaction with Chinese medicine care. The evidence indicates that these respondents behave as astute consumers within a plural health care system. Part II (in press) details reasons given for satisfaction and situates respondent attitudes within a larger sociocultural framework.

Source: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 998 Spring; 4 (1): 17-27

Fibromyalgia Patients Show Improvement From Mind-Body Treatment

In a pilot study, 28 fibromylagia patients were given eight (8) weekly, 2-1/2 hour mind-body sessions. The sessions consisted of "an educational component focusing on the mind-body connection, a portion focusing on relaxation response mechanisms (primarily mindfulness meditation techniques), and a qigong movement therapy session." The patients experienced a "significant reduction in pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness; and improved function, mood state, and general health...."

Source: Altern Ther Health Med, 1998 Mar; 4 (2): 67-70

Acupuncture an Effective Treatment for Chronic Painful Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetics

Forty-four diabetic patients with chronic painful peripheral neuropathy underwent a series of 6 acupunture treatments over a period of 10 weeks. Twenty-nine (63%) of the patients were already taking drugs for the neuropathy.

There were 34 patients (77%) showing significant improvement from the acupuncture treatment. During a followup period of 18-52 weeks, 67% of these patients were able to stop or reduce their medications. Eight (8) patients required followup acupunture treatment. Seven (7) patients had their symptoms clear up completely. The authors conclude that "These data suggest that acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy for the long-term management of painful diabetic neuropathy...."

Source: Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 1998 Feb; 39 (2): 115-21

Acupunture Helps Weight Loss

In a study published in the Australian Family Physician Journal, 60 overweight people were divided into a test group and a control group. A device intended to stimulate two appetite-related ear acupuncture points was given the test group. The control group used the device on the thumb where no relevant acupuncture points exist. 95% of the test group using acupuncture noticed a suppression of appetite while none of the control group notice appetite changes. Mean weight loss was significantly higher in the acupuncture group. The authors conclude that "Frequent stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points is an effective method of appetite suppression which leads to weight loss."

Source: Aust Fam Physician, 1998 Jul; 27 Suppl 2 S73-7

Patients Satisfied with Results of Homeopathic Treatment

104 subjects completed a questionnaire and then underwent a diagnosis from a Homeopath. There were followup interviews at 1 month and 4 months and a followup questionnaire. 77 subjects completed the study.

The subjects had a wide variety of complaints which were mostly chronic health conditions such as "respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female reproductive problems." Approx. 80% noted unsuccessful treatment from previous allopathic treatment. After homeopathic treatment, only 29% showed no improvement from their primary complaint. Patients were satisfied with the homeopathic treatment regardless of the outcome.

Source: Altern Ther Health Med, 1998 Mar; 4 (2): 60-5

Acupunture Use by General Practitioners in Australia

ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To ascertain the extent of the use of acupuncture and the characteristics of general practitioners using acupuncture.
DESIGN:
Secondary analysis of 1996 Health Insurance Commission data on claims by all non-specialist medical practitioners for Medicare Benefits Schedule items for an attendance where acupuncture was performed by a medical practitioner.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Use of acupuncture by general practitioners and the practitioners' sex, age, place of primary medical qualification, and the socioeconomic disadvantage index of the practitioners' practice.
RESULTS:
15.1% of general practitioners claimed for acupuncture. Acupuncture was more likely to be provided by male practitioners, by those aged 35-54 years, and by practitioners who have an overseas primary medical qualification. The socioeconomic index of the practice did not significantly affect the number of claims for acupuncture.
CONCLUSION:
Acupuncture is used by about one in seven general practitioners. Its use is associated with middle-aged practitioners, who presumably have more clinical experience. This level of use by experienced doctors suggests that a critical review of the appropriate role of acupuncture in general practice should be considered.

The authors also noted that "alternative treatments are used by 16% of GPs [General Practitioners] in Britain and Canada, and by 30% in New Zealand."
Source: Medical Journal of Australia, 1998, Vol. 169, Pg. 197-200.

Homeopathic Remedy As Effective as Drug in Treating Vertigo

A randomized, double-blind trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of the homeopathic remedy, Vertigoheel, Heel Inc, Albuquerque, NM versus the drug betahistine hydrochloride when treating vertigo. 105 patients from 15 treatment centers in Germany completed the 6-week treatment period.

The authors noted the following results, "Both homeopathic and conventional treatments showed a clinically relevant reduction in the mean frequency, duration, and intensity of the vertigo attacks. The therapeutic equivalence of the homeopathic remedy and betahistine was established statistically."

It is important to note that homeopathic treatment is often thought to be even more effective when an individualized remedy is determined (unlike what was done in this study). Links to more information about homeopathy and help finding a Classical Homeopath can be found here.

Organic Farming Reduces Greenhouse Gasses & Global Warming

In a 15-year study at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, experts compared the effects of using organic fertilizers versus the use of chemical fertilizers. Plants grown with organic fertilizers release less carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas that contributes to climate changes. The researchers admit that organic farming, by itself, cannot solve the global warming crises.

The researchers also found that organic farming used 50 percent less energy than farming with chemical fertilizers.

Non-Organic Soybean Products May Have High Levels of Herbicide Residues

The consumer organization GeneEthics sent a letter to the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) challenging Monsanto's request to raise the allowable Roundup Herbicide residue levels by 200 times the current level (from .1mg/kg to 20 mg/kg). Roundup herbicide is used on Monsanto's genetically engineered Roundup-Ready soybeans. Genetically-engineered soy is then sold in the U.S. and other parts of the world as part of non-organic products such as soy-based infant formula.

The consumer organization had the following to say about Monsanto's application to raise the limits on Roundup herbicide use:
Recently, an
urgent warning was issued by scientists at the Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on Biosafety. They implored all governments to use whatever means they can to ban Monsanto's genetically-engineered "Roundup-Ready" soybeans.
Consumers can avoid soy products and soy ingredients made with Roundup-Ready soybeans by insisting upon purchasing product which organic soy ingredients. Your local health food store often has a select of organic soy products.