My understanding is that there is no link between CJD and genetically
altered food. The article you refer to is more of an indictment of a
(British) government agency, using one example (CJD) to suggest that you
can't trust their pronouncements on other issues, e.g., genetically altered
foods.
My criticism of the article is that, in time, the general public may start
to perceive a link between CJD and genetically altered food. This happens
very frequently and one must be aware of media suggesting links where there
are none. "Guilt by association" comes to mind and examples abound:
"Godless communism" (capitalism isn't any more godly) "highly radioactive
plutonium" (it is not highly radioactive; if it were, it would not be
around long) or "plutonium, the most toxic material" (nicotine on a gram per
gram basis is more toxic).
For what it's worth,
Chuck Vandergraaf
Pinawa, MB
Hi everyone,
I have another 'silly' question: what do mad cow disease and
Creutzfeldt Jacob disease have to do with genetically manufactured
foods?
I think nothing, but yeat another article in a local monthly
magazine, is making the connection with the following parahgraph:
"In the 1980s, the British public was repeatedly assured by
government ministers that there was nothing unsafe about Britain's
food. The subsequent outbreak of mad cow disease and its leap to
humans in the form of the deadly Creutzfeldt Jacob disease rocked
Britons' faith in politicians, regulators and scientists. No wonder
then that the tabloids have had a field day with the "Frankenfood"
epithet for GM food."
Janine
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Janine R. Baalbergen
Student Master of Arts in Communication Studies
School of Communication Studies
Auckland Institute of Technology
State Insurance Building rm 1414
Wakefield Street
Auckland New Zealand
Ph. 64 9 307 9999 ext 8406