What you did not know about GMOs:

Herbicide tolerant GM soybeans on the market contains high residue levels of glyphosate

Senior researcher at GenØk and Professor of Gene Ecology at UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Thomas Bøhn has together with colleagues published an article that illuminates a field of omitted research for GM plants, with potential health implications for consumers (1).

Surprisingly, almost no data exist in the peer-review literature on herbicide residues in herbicide tolerant GM plants after close to 20 years on the market. Such data has not been compulsory for risk assessment of these plants in spite of the wish to reduce or eliminate pesticides from food and feed products.

Residues of glyphosate (and the breakdown product AMPA) were found in high concentrations in the GM soybeans but not in conventional or organic soybeans.

The article also documents other significant differences between GM, conventional and organic soybeans. For example, the organic soybeans contained significantly more protein and less saturated fatty acids than GM and conventional soybeans.

GM soybeans dominate the world market with about 80 % of the total production and are used in food and feed chains as well as in numerous mixed products. It is now essential that i) pesticide residue levels are monitored in herbicide tolerant GM soy, and ii) that potential health implications of such residues are studied.

(1) Bøhn, T., Cuhra, M., Traavik, T., Sanden, M. & Primicerio, R. 2014. Compositional differences in soybeans on the market: glyphosate accumulates in Roundup Ready GM soybeans. Food Chemistry 153: 207-215. (Open Access)

For further information contact:

Thomas Bøhn, Senior Scientist GenØk

thomas@genok.no

Mobile + 47 97 00 99 16