Tag: GMO
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Monsanto Reaches Agreement in Principle over GM Wheat Contamination
In light of representations that the parties are close to settlement, a multidistrict litigation (MDL) court has continued to stay proceedings in litigation alleging that the isolated appearance of genetically modified (GM) wheat in Oregon, which purportedly led Japan and South Korea to suspend imports of soft-white wheat from the United States, caused wheat farmers…
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APHIS Seeks Comments on Environmental Assessment of GE Moth
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeks public comments on its environmental assessment of the proposed field release of a genetically engineered (GE) diamondback moth. A plant pest that feeds on cruciferous crops, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, collard, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, turnip, and…
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New Yorker Profiles Vandana Shiva, Anti-GMO Activist
Michael Specter has profiled “the Gandhi of grain,” Vandana Shiva, in a piece for the New Yorker that describes her as “a hero to anti-[genetically modified organisms (GMOs)] activists everywhere” while criticizing her inflammatory methods and unscientific arguments. Specter chronicles many of Shiva’s recent provocative statements—including a speech calling fertilizer “a weapon of mass destruction”…
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China Yanks Approval for GM Crop Programs
The People’s Republic of China Ministry of Agriculture has reportedly failed to renew the biosafety permits for two research programs growing genetically modified (GM) corn and rice, raising concerns about the future of GMO production in China. According to media sources, the Agriculture Ministry has not yet authorized any GMOs for public consumption and decided…
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Researchers Highlight Appeal of Gene Editing Techniques
A recent Trends in Biotechnology review highlighting “genetically edited organisms” (GEOs) has reportedly suggested that new techniques designed to tweak the existing genome could gain greater public acceptance than older methods, which traditionally use plant bacteria to insert foreign genetic material into fruit and vegetables. According to an August 13, 2014, Cell Press news release,…
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Putative Class Action Filed Against Organic Milling for Allegedly False “100% Natural” Claims
A plaintiff has accused cereal company Organic Milling of mislabeling its Nutritious Living Hi-Lo brand cereals as “100% natural” despite allegedly containing synthetic and heavily processed ingredients and being produced with genetically modified (GM) crops. Mirto v. Organic Milling, No. BC553780 (Super. Ct. Cal., Los Angeles Cty., filed Aug. 5, 2014). The complaint alleges first…
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EFSA Rejects Emergency Measure to Ban GM Maize
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected the evidence submitted by France “in support of its request to prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified [GM] maize MON 810 in the EU.” As requested by the European Commission, EFSA reviewed the French report but determined that none of the cited studies “would invalidate the previous…