Country has no labs to test toxicity of Bt brinjal

As the Centre goes about building public opinion on introduction of the controversial Bt brinjal, the country does not have the facility to test the toxicity or otherwise of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

India does not have a Bt laboratory to test genetically-modified (GM) crop and the Centre’s support for Bt brinjal is based more on political considerations than science. In the absence of credible tests, public consultations will not help much.

“How can the Centre vouchsafe the long-term safety of people who consume Bt brinjal, when it does not have a Bt testing lab in the first place? Brinjal is not a staple food and I suspect that Bt brinjal is being pushed with ulterior motives for introduction of new genetically modified food crops in the country,” says the eminent geneticist, Dr Krishna Rao Dronamraju, who heads the Foundation for Genetic Research, Houston, USA.

The Centre is banking on the results of animal studies, which cannot always be extrapolated on human beings, says Dr Krishna Rao.

The physiology of human beings is complex as compared to that of animals. Several studies on animal models have failed when extrapolated on man. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that the nutritional value or taste will be enhanced by producing Bt brinjal.