Japan halts US wheat imports over GMO discovery

[Sheila]

Washington Post
31 May 13
by Stephen Mufson

Japan, the largest market for U.S. wheat exports, suspended imports from the United States and canceled a major purchase of white wheat on Thursday.

How the altered crop made its way to the Oregon field remains a mystery. The strain was developed by Monsanto to make wheat resistant to the company’s own industry-leading weed killer. Monsanto tested the type of altered seed in more than a dozen states, including Oregon, between 1994 and 2005, but it was never approved for commercial use.

Yet the Agriculture Department reported that recent tests identified the strain after an Oregon farmer trying to clear a field sprayed Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup, and found that the wheat could not be killed.

The report rattled U.S. wheat markets. The European Union asked Monsanto to help with detection efforts in Europe.
….

But food safety groups drew the opposite conclusion. “This was not from a recent trial, which means it’s been sitting there in the environment,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, a nonprofit group. “It’s highly doubtful that it’s just on one farm. If it’s out there, it’s out there.” The center’s science policy analyst, Bill Freese, added, “It’s been 12 years since this wheat was grown officially in Oregon. It doesn’t just disappear and magically appear 12 years later.”


Freese added that Monsanto has 15 new permits, issued in 2011, to test herbicide-resistant wheat in Hawaii and North Dakota, including an unusually large 300-acre field in North Dakota. Freese said the size of that field would make it difficult to prevent accidental spread…..


http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...a47_story.html

[Luc]

The strain was developed by Monsanto to make wheat resistant to the company’s own industry-leading weed killer.

Oh my, what a self-perpetuating absurd.

Monsanto is getting into bigger and bigger trouble...

[Sheila]

…an Oregon farmer trying to clear a field sprayed Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup, and found that the wheat could not be killed.

This is sci fi. Chilling. For non-US residents -- Roundup usually kills everything easily.

[Luc]

This one sounds like something taken from the Onion, but it's real;

The news surrounding GMO crops continues to get further and further outlandish as the crops are increasingly mutated and sprayed with a medley of harsh pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. The latest news comes from an unlikely source — an automotive publication known as Autoblog. The website reports that farmers who have opted to plant Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds have run into one daunting problem (outside of decreased yields and an extremely higher risk of disease): little ‘spear-like’ stalks from the harvested GMOs are absolutely wreaking havoc on the heavy duty tractor tires.

Described by one farmer as a ‘field of little spears’, farmers are now turning to kevlar tires. In case you’re not aware, kevlar is the same material used in bulletproof vests to protect from gun bullets.

The stalks are so sharp and weapon-like that they can wreck an entire set of wheels, which is a daunting reality when considered that one tractor can have as many as eight heavy duty tires. Furthermore, a single tractor tire can easily cost thousands of dollars. Thanks to the GMO crops, the average lifespan of a tractor tire has dwindled from five or six years down to just one or two — if the farmer is lucky. Add that to the exponentially increased amount of pesticide use required to maintain modified crops thanks to heavily mutated ‘super’ rootworms and other insects, and it’s easy to see how GMO farming is nothing but a monetary pitfall for farmers.

Strange reports like these may ultimately be what it takes for the public to truly be concerned about genetically modified seeds and ingredients. Outside of the massive amount of research highlighting the damaging effects of GMOs on human biology, the environment, and nature as a whole, it oftentimes takes a bizarre incident such as this in order to fully gain the attention of the far-reaching press. The longer the use of GMOs is allowed nationwide, the more bizarre and outlandish stories will begin to emerge.

As if mutant insects, superweeds, decreased biosphere microorganism population, and direct organ stress weren’t enough, now Monsanto’s GMO crops can be easily utilized as a sharp and deadly weapon.

http://naturalsociety.com/kevlar-tir...ike-gmo-crops/

[Sheila]

OMG. Truly we are in trouble.

[Luc]

FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2013

South Korea suspends imports of U.S. wheat after GMO strain found in Oregon

The unapproved genetically modified wheat, developed by biotech giant Monsanto, was found growing in an Oregon field, the USDA announced Wednesday. Other Asian countries are stepping up inspections in the wake of the news.

The U.S. is the world's biggest wheat exporter, but some countries are putting their imports on hold after news about an unapproved genetically modified wheat crop discovered in Oregon. The wheat poses no health threat and did not enter the commercial food supply, U.S. officials said.

South Korean millers suspended imports of U.S. wheat on Friday and some Asian countries stepped up inspections after the discovery of an unapproved strain of genetically modified wheat in the United States, but stopped short of imposing import bans.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...icle-1.1359806

[Sheila]

I was just thinking – if this GMO crap is so pesticide-resistant and can destroy tractor tires, then what is it doing to your gut? Can it be broken down in the normal time of food transit through a body? Is it bio-degradable in less than ten years? Too sharp to be inside a human?

This is on top of the carcinogenic aspect. I’m just wondering about the mechanical aspect here.

[Luc]

The Frankenstein food...

There was this story on the Internet some time ago, according to which the Monsanto's own cafeteria didn't/doesn't serve the GMO food. I haven't done much research into it, so I can't be sure here, but it looks likely; http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...en-737948.html

[Sheila]

Too funny! Great find!

[Luc]

I was just thinking – if this GMO crap is so pesticide-resistant and can destroy tractor tires, then what is it doing to your gut? Can it be broken down in the normal time of food transit through a body? Is it bio-degradable in less than ten years? Too sharp to be inside a human?

This is on top of the carcinogenic aspect. I’m just wondering about the mechanical aspect here.

Sheila, you posed this question just a moment ago and here we have an answer (from June 12, 2013) http://www.naturalnews.com/040727_GM..._stomachs.html

Those of us in severe WD, may want to not click on the link - the pictures and article could be too graphic.