News and Comment

Request for data for study on GM maize, herbicide and tumours in rats

19 September 2012

The paper, Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize was published today in the Journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Experts have responded to the paper, critizing its methodology and stastical analysis. Further details of the scientists' reponse here. 

We wrote to the authors to request full data sets for the study and their response to the criticisms about the study design, execution, treatment of animals and conclusions. 

On 21st September 2012:

Dear Professor Seralini and Sustainable Food Trust

We asked you on Wednesday (as below) to send the full data sets from this paper and your response to criticisms of it. The Sustainable Food Trust replied on twitter that this would be pursued.
Can you do that today please, or indicate today when you will make them available? Until the full data are available it’s hard for anyone to know whether the claims you are making in publicity work, or the criticisms many scientists have published, are valid. (We are compiling a list of the questions that people have raised which we will send to you by Monday if that would help.) 

Many thanks

Dr Frances Downey

On 19th September 2012

 To: Professor Seralini and Sustainable Food Trust

Hi there,

We asked on the Twitter discussion for full data sets for the study that’s the basis for your paper, Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.

As you know today it has been widely criticised. You are doing quite a big publicity and promotional job on this with PR agencies, digital media and a forthcoming book, as well as making it the basis of a call for a change in policy. So we are following up with this request for both the data and your response to the criticisms about the study design, execution, treatment of animals and conclusions.  Could you send these to us? You can email me at fdowney@senseaboutscience.org.

We will post this note and your material on our website, which might save you from dealing with multiple requests following the twitter activity today.

Many thanks

Frances

Public Liaison

Sense About Science

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