File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2000/anarchy-list.0001, message 268


From: Andy <as-AT-spelthorne.ac.uk>
Subject: Genetically  modified breast milk in U$A?
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:48:25 -0000


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Forget the KFC chickens, this is a real story. The company that brought you Dolly the cloned sheep, PPL Therapeutics of  Scotland and Virginia, are looking  at developing baby formula milk with GM human proteins from cattle. If you read the article below from the BBC [I've pasted the text] you will see a denial from the UK parent company.

However, on Channel 4 last night, the programme The Mark Thomas Product [well worth watching - he's a stand up comic who specialises in irritating corps and gov with great stunts -e.g smuggling a radioactive sea-gull shit presentation stand into the Sellafield Nuclear Re-processing Plant Visitors' Centre- and investigative journalism], got some quotes from the US Subsidiary in Virginia that were to put it mildly contradictory -

1]that they were in talks with manufacturers of baby formula milk [though not, it must be emphasised, Nestle who get enough stick on other formula issues]

2]that they were about 30 months away from production

3]that in the U$A this product would not be subject to more rigorous pharmaceutical regulations, only food regs

Now I know the U$A is more gung-ho about GM food than us Europeans, but it would seem to me that this is worth making a fuss about.

Andy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_600000/600551.

A UK biotechnology company has denied reports that it plans to produce commercial baby formula milk from genetically-modified cows.

PPL Therapeutics denied the comments attributed to its senior researcher David Ayres at its US subsidiary on a documentary broadcast on Wednesday.

Mr Ayres told the Channel 4 programme the company had a 20-strong herd of cows whose milk contained a protein component of human milk.
 
However, PPL's corporate headquarters in Edinburgh has issued a statement saying it had no more than three cows producing the protein, human alpha-lactalbumin, and it was intended only as a dietary supplement for premature babies who could not be breast-fed.

A purified version of the protein would be a medical product and not a consumer item, and would require clinical trials, PPL said.

The statement added: "While it is, at least in theory, possible to make many genetic modifications to produce a cow which produces milk similar to human milk, PPL does not have, and never has had, plans to do this."

"Breast is best" charities had voiced their concern over the plans.

GM baby formula milk could help those babies who are currently allergic to the animal proteins in cows' milk.

Important antibodies

But there are many ingredients of human breast milk which are believed to make it superior to cows' milk - not simply the proteins involved.

In addition, breast milk contains antibodies from the mother to help the development of the baby's immune system.

Belinda Phipps, of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "Human breast milk has evolved over thousands of years to meet the particular needs of human babies.

"All mammals have milk which is different and designed to meet their babies' requirements.

"The idea of breeding a GM cow to produce a hybrid GM milk may appeal to scientists and manufacturers, but parents want their babies to have a safe and healthy start to life.

"Public reaction is not likely to be positive."

And Pattie Rundall, policy director of Baby Milk Action, said: "Milk from a cow is never going to be the same as breast milk.

"The brilliant thing about real breast milk is that it's full of antibodies from the mother which protect the baby against diseases and infection. It's a cocktail that's absolutely irreplaceable."



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Forget the KFC chickens, this is a real story. The company that brought you Dolly the cloned sheep, PPL Therapeutics of  Scotland and Virginia, are looking  at developing baby formula milk with GM human proteins from cattle. If you read the article below from the BBC [I've pasted the text] you will see a denial from the UK parent company.
 
However, on Channel 4 last night, the programme The Mark Thomas Product [well worth watching - he's a stand up comic who specialises in irritating corps and gov with great stunts -e.g smuggling a radioactive sea-gull shit presentation stand into the Sellafield Nuclear Re-processing Plant Visitors' Centre- and investigative journalism], got some quotes from the US Subsidiary in Virginia that were to put it mildly contradictory -
 
1]that they were in talks with manufacturers of baby formula milk [though not, it must be emphasised, Nestle who get enough stick on other formula issues]
 
2]that they were about 30 months away from production
 
3]that in the U$A this product would not be subject to more rigorous pharmaceutical regulations, only food regs
 
Now I know the U$A is more gung-ho about GM food than us Europeans, but it would seem to me that this is worth making a fuss about.
 
Andy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_600000/600551.
 
A UK biotechnology company has denied reports that it plans to produce commercial baby formula milk from genetically-modified cows.

PPL Therapeutics denied the comments attributed to its senior researcher David Ayres at its US subsidiary on a documentary broadcast on Wednesday.

Mr Ayres told the Channel 4 programme the company had a 20-strong herd of cows whose milk contained a protein component of human milk.
 
However, PPL's corporate headquarters in Edinburgh has issued a statement saying it had no more than three cows producing the protein, human alpha-lactalbumin, and it was intended only as a dietary supplement for premature babies who could not be breast-fed.

A purified version of the protein would be a medical product and not a consumer item, and would require clinical trials, PPL said.

The statement added: "While it is, at least in theory, possible to make many genetic modifications to produce a cow which produces milk similar to human milk, PPL does not have, and never has had, plans to do this."

"Breast is best" charities had voiced their concern over the plans.

GM baby formula milk could help those babies who are currently allergic to the animal proteins in cows' milk.

Important antibodies

But there are many ingredients of human breast milk which are believed to make it superior to cows' milk - not simply the proteins involved.

In addition, breast milk contains antibodies from the mother to help the development of the baby's immune system.

Belinda Phipps, of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "Human breast milk has evolved over thousands of years to meet the particular needs of human babies.

"All mammals have milk which is different and designed to meet their babies' requirements.

"The idea of breeding a GM cow to produce a hybrid GM milk may appeal to scientists and manufacturers, but parents want their babies to have a safe and healthy start to life.

"Public reaction is not likely to be positive."

And Pattie Rundall, policy director of Baby Milk Action, said: "Milk from a cow is never going to be the same as breast milk.

"The brilliant thing about real breast milk is that it's full of antibodies from the mother which protect the baby against diseases and infection. It's a cocktail that's absolutely irreplaceable."


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