A potential health risk Joe Cummins. Much of the emphasis in crop genetic engineering has been in producing crops containing pesticides or organisms that can be sprayed on crops to destroy major economic pests of the crops. Such genetically engineered forms for fighting crop diseases are called 'Plant-Pesticides'. An insect virus, Baculovirus, is being modified with genes, such as scorpion toxin gene, diuretic hormone gene, juvenile hormone gene or mite toxin gene to make a potent insect virus to spray on crop plants to protect the crops from insect pests.
Pesticides require extensive acute and chronic tests to assure that they are safe.
Such tests are very expensive and slow the release of gene tinkered products. The biotechnology industry has launched a huge propaganda campaign warning of negative consequences if the amount of required safety-testing and regulation on these 'plant pesticides' is raised. The biotechnology industry wants its products to be tested by consumers and they wish to avoid the liability resulting from pesticide poisoning whether in crops or chemical sprays. Unfortunately such pesticides are as likely to cause cancer, birth defects, nerve damage or reduced immunity as their man-made chemical relatives . Celery was treated with gene damaging chemicals and an insect resistant form was selected.