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De Forest, WI | The specific CRY toxins produced by a particular strain of the bacteria we know as BT are really just proteins with a specific crystalline structure. Lepidoptera (corn earworms, etc) have receptors in their digestive system that these crystal proteins work on. The outcome is that once ingested the proteins cause the digestive system to stop working properly. The insect stops feeding and eventually dies.
Organic sprays can be made up of the live bt bacterium or a combination of live bacteria and the active crystal proteins (CRY 1ac and others). Once ingested the live bacteria reproduce and excrete the toxic proteins into the digestive system of the insect.
For gmo corn the specific gene sequences that code for these proteins has been artificially transferred into the corn plants dna structure. The corn plant then “executes”, similar to a computer launching a program, these gene sequences and begins producing these crystal proteins within its own cells. Insects feed on the plant and get doses with the crystal proteins that stops feeding. The insects then die.
The problem with gmo is that the crystal proteins exist in all cells of the plant, including what is eaten by people. There is strong evidence to suggest that the rise of digestive issues in many countries may be linked to increased consumption of these crystal proteins over long periods. The proteins have a weak reaction in the human digestive system, but it is thought that they may alter the normal gut flora by reducing the number of “Good” bacteria in our gut and allowing the pathonogenic ones to be present in larger numbers.
When using BT as a spray the actual crystal proteins and live bacteria are not present in the final product that is consumed. So the risk is not present.
Before GMOs is was common for ALL farmers to use BT to control eat worms. It was one of the first biological insecticides. It’s doenside is that it degrades rapidly in sunlight. So it needed to be applied several times to control ear worms. The biotech companies simply desired to shift the profit to themselves vs chemical companies who were selling the insecticide. The difference with GMOs is that the crystal proteins were ALWAYS present and no spraying was necessary.
The claim of reduced insecticide use is faulty as the insecticide was now INSIDE the plant instead of being sprayed on. The argument may be made that the amount of crystal proteins entering the environment is lower in GMOs since spraying requires a higher concentration to be effective. What is often glossed over though is that sprayed BT breaks down very quickly as it is not bound to anything. The BT present in living tissue is not broken down until all of the residue from the crop is broken down. This means that the crystal proteins are present for a significantly longer period of time.
In any event, the over use of the crystal proteins in BT GMO corn has meant more resistance in the wild. In many areas the original crystal proteins are no longer commercially effective. This has led gmo companies to look for alternate toxins to use.
This then leads us to the question: is it safe to ingest these toxins and do they have any short or long term effects on health or the environment. I personally believe that independent companies should do these analysis before these products are out on the market. If people are NOT consuming these products as part of their diet (ie it is sprayed and not gmo) then there is potentially reduced risk since most or all of the spray would be removed with washing or as part of husking/peeling/etc.
If we truely want a science based approach then we need to look at all of these factors. Companies need to publish their studies and allow them to be scrutinized. If the science is sound then most people will be fine with it. Right now I don’t know what was sprayed, when or how often. Companies don’t know or don’t want to provide that information. A lack of such knowledge leads people to buy organic because that review process is mandatory before a product can be used. | |
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More on European GMO conclusions.
