The controversy over the approval of biopharma rice in California rages on. Professor Joe Cummins warns about the health dangers in the OCA news log. He says:

There seems to be a culture that puts optimism ahead of experiment and distains labeling of products, crop production or field tests so that deleterious side effects of the crops or their products cannot be identified.

Why is the evidence of harmful side effects and dangerous mutant forms
presented at the safety evaluation of field tests and production sites? The answer seems to be that both proponents and regulators do not wish to alarm the public. Indeed, if and when the matter is brought up regulators and proponents will unleash teams of vicious lawyers whose job is to shift the burden of proof to those who mention harmful or dangerous side effects .

Nevertheless, if and when the dangerous tests or crop productions are undertaken people who are effected should begin to notice amyloidosis or autoimmune diseases including lupus and arthritis. The main geographical areas of concern are California where biopharmaceutical rice is being ³tested² on a large scale and in Washington state where large plots of biopharmaceutical barley is being ³tested².


OCA, the Consumers Union and other groups sent a letter to California authorities regarding this matter:

Your approval of this proposal would trigger the first commercial use of a food plant to produce drugs in the nation, and the first commercialization of a plant product engineered to contain human genes. The request raises very serious issues of human and environmental safety and potential economic impact This application deserves a full public hearing, allowing comment from consumer groups, farmers, scientists, physicians, businesses, and environmental groups, prior to permitting this drug-producing rice to be grown on large acreage.