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joining me today is George church he is professor of genetics at Harvard Medical
School also a director of personal genomes dot
ordered providing the world only open access information
on human genomic environmental and trade data
%uh professor church it's really great to have you on in fact a number of our
viewers suggested we talk to you and the premise which really was directed by our
audience was
some people notice what they describe what they characterize as kind of a
knee-jerk reaction particularly on the political left
to be against genetically modified food just on principle
and the the suggestion from the audience was talk to somebody like professor
church
and let's actually figure out what scientific data do researchers have
about the health effects ob-gyn anything modified food that are separate from
whether that food is or is not organic
is or is not processed foods and let's see if we can really drill to drill that
part down so
I think that's a good place to start what research does exist
about specifically the health effects
a food that has been genetically modified up so
so it's definitely not as much research as we would like
a there were their band om a few publications
that I know of from around 2004 2011-2012
are most them a get some pushback
the because they're the the sample sizes too small
say 10 rather than 60 rodents in a and carcinogenesis
a study on by per se and maze corn
well hand and
you could say and sometimes the responses to the criticisms are
art satisfyingly directing hours they are truly answering the criticisms
but nevertheless I think the main thing is we need more research
so like almost anything involving of foods and drugs in the FDA
USDA and so forth when it so prolly underfunded understudied
but they're relatives with their studies on rodents their studies on farm animals
into bed
the suits for a long time humans obviously have been in
less controlled manner was controlled scientifically
on but anyway if there's does there's not that much data and like
like things where there are high economic a co-op a
stakes like go warnings or they're gonna be
people both sides so is
what what would be a fair statement in other words in the abundance of caution
and speaking only about what we have we have some data about
are you comfortable at all right now falling on the side that there is a
health risk to consuming
genetically modified foods are you would you fall on the side of saying that you
think that there is no risk or simply that it is a question mark
are maybe none of those three I would say there is a health risk to be eating
foods
in general up and it's not a one-size-fits-all
meaning that their and ice based on the day that I've seen so far
on there's much greater health risks
in the food supply then the GM part a bit
no words are health risks to certain individuals due to diabetes school
because they're sucrose in includes more than ever before
years gluten there's lactose there's cholesterol they're all kinds of things
and I'm
very much pro labeling I'm not just labeling for GM but for various other
things
but they're there very very few
if if any cases medical cases
arm for GM components to a disease
and there's a lot of cases for these other things so
so I'm I'm interested in one aspect you talked about which is that your for
labeling and we are
as well on this program so I'm sure you're you're somewhere where at least
if the campaigns that have been going on in states like California
where GA GM foods should be labeled and of course millions of dollars have
poured in from from very large food companies who are against that they
claim on the grounds merely have
AVP cost not have one thing to really hide anything that may be unhealthy
so I'm curious along those lines do you think that
in the same way that there are corporate interests
that don't want GM labeling are their corporate interests and you as a
researcher bitten you might know this
are their corporate interests fighting real research
about the health effects of GM foods
I i'm not aware of anyone fighting against doing research
I think there are people that might be critiquing research that is
the that's so being published um
or was or is being designed a shot anyway the best time to critique the
studies this course before they occur
are the best way to make them better studies is the fundam
all you know there may not there not be a rush to fund its
it to to find something that you already believed to be true
Norris a non scientists the the
an on-site the CEO mine on a a
fun something that they believe is not an issue
on but they I don't think they would necessarily block its in
there might be cases so people feeling it's a waste money
what would be the ideal way to really test what what we're talking about here
in other words if you could design a study where money was no object and and
you could just put together a study to really isolate
the genetically modified component a foods is the variable whose
whose effects were testing how would you put that together what would be the
ideal way to study that
well the ideal way putting aside some realities for a moment would be to study
than human beings they're plenty o
a few min I'll well subject
based researched for foods and drugs
it's hard to do foods because people are under supplant even if they're paid to
participate in a research study
on but it could be done and I would be the best would be the best way
I should mention that you know some of the some other
a critique so up to you in foods is not just the GM part
it's the its other chemicals that come along with it but
but but you're right to just focusing on Gmail part
ideally you would you add the have a large clinical trials
sensually with human beings and Paul that's that's a
fantastic so what do you think is going to be the next step
in terms of love this kind of discussion over GM foods in what would you like it
did it to beef putting aside the research that's going to be done
I don't know how much you pay attention to the to the the discussions that GM
foods kinda been
in traditional media but do you think that there's even a reasonable
discussion being had
about GM foods in most media or is really the point
being missed altogether but
I i tend to think that there there is a real risk us and I i think there's
great value in having are caught the
a little controversy a little all discussion
because it it has the possibility up getting people spend
a little more time thinking about the science if they think that especially if
they think that's how it's going to be decided in the marketplace a big science
is the part about
when they will get more the speed and anything that that brings our
population up to speed on science be great are because that is
there's many technologies not just you know foods where we need to have a very
highly educated population arm so I would
it would be one on good aspect to the current conversations going on
a a little motion is not a slew of harmful thing
a but in but they're has the mix then and is I think with the law
looking at the day to the problem is there's more heat than light
there's not quite as much so they deserve should be
up I think going for the labeling is going to be
key and more more I think people are going to
not try to find up an umbrella label like
these are good foods news about this you know like everything labeled organic
there's good
up because as much more fine-grained and that's what we're personalizes like
mother so sweet means your purse was your food needs to be as well so you'll
go to the supermarket
would say your cell phone as a barcode scanner or just the side before you go
there
use your computer to personalize your diet
arm and I suspect that that once people
go into detail about the risk to various foods
I'll go find that GM is the least there or is they should be worrying about
cholesterol and and a cane sugar
ants a and and the
and the back to your pathogenic bacteria that are present on their food so that
our
necessarily Ste a been tested
we've been speaking with George church is professor of genetics at Harvard
Medical School also check out personal genomes dot
or were professor churches the director really a pleasure to have you on sir
all my pleasure thank you