BIO affirms safety of biotech products.
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Press Release Summary:
In response to preliminary report released by Austrian Ministries for Agriculture and Health, Michael Wach, Managing Director, Science and Regulatory Affairs, food and agriculture for BIO, stated that BIO and member companies are confident in rigorous testing and approval regimes put in place by U.S. government. These products are tested for years before they are approved for commercialization, and there has never been any scientific evidence that biotech crops cause health effects.
Original Press Release:
BIO Affirms Safety of Biotech Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Wednesday, November 12, 2008) - A preliminary report released November 11th by the Austrian Ministries for Agriculture and Health, identified some specific concerns based on reproduction studies in mice that were fed certain biotech crops.
Michael Wach, Managing Director, Science and Regulatory Affairs, food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), issued the following statement in response to reports about the report:
"The Biotechnology Industry Organization and its member companies are confident in the rigorous testing and approval regimes of biotech products put in place by U.S. government authorities. These products are thoroughly tested for years before they are approved for commercialization, and there has never been any scientific evidence that biotech crops cause any health effects.
"It's important to note that the findings in this study are preliminary. The study's author, Dr. Jurgen Zentek, has even remarked that his team's three studies show inconsistent results and should be considered preliminary.
"It's also important to note that feeding studies such as these must be done extremely carefully, otherwise results are likely to be inconsistent, like Dr. Zentek's, or even erroneous. When scientists have attempted to replicate feeding tests, such as Zentek's, in their own labs, the results have yielded no findings of biotech crops having any health effects. More than a decade of reputable, peer-reviewed, scientific studies, including multi-generational studies, have demonstrated and confirmed the safety of biotech crops.
"This report - especially considering its findings are inconsistent and preliminary - does not provide any basis to question the safety of biotech products. Our member companies, as well as the U.S. government and the governments in more than 20 countries around the world, have made the safety of biotech products a top priority."
A copy of the study is available on request.
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BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
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