More dangers from another GM crop comes to light

TB-spread fears follow European GM potato ruling
Malaysia Sun
Thursday 4th March, 2010 
(IANS)

"A ruling by the European Union to allow the production of genetically-modified potatoes in member-states has sparked claims the vegetables may lead to the spread of a deadly form of tuberculosis.

The European Commission Tuesday gave the green signal for the production of GM Amflora potatoes in the first approval for a GM crop to be grown on a commercial scale in Europe for 12 years.

Although the European Union's 27 member-states are free not to grow the crop, environmental campaigners denounced the approval, saying it could lead the spread of multi-disease resistant TB (MDR-TB) - a major global health concern."

"Once the starch has been removed for industrial purposes, the potato skins could be fed to animals, whose meat would not have to be labelled as GM, and could thus enter the food chain in Europe, campaigners fear.

The European Medical Authority (EMA), the agency that evaluates medicinal products in the continent, said Amflora contains a gene that produces an enzyme which generally confers resistance to several antibiotics, including kanamycin, neomycin, butirosin, and gentamicin."  More