Disturbing: GMOs Causing Deformities, Birth Defects in Piglets

A pig farmer in Denmark is sounding the alarm on what he believes are deformities caused by genetically modified soy feed, crippling the pigs he raises. According to The Ecologist, farmer Ib Pedersen found piglets born with spinal deformities, visible growths and abnormalities, and even conjoined twins. He blames glyphosate—the herbicide found on genetically modified crops.

A primary ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, glyphosate is a weed-killing chemical routinely sprayed on crops that have been genetically-modified to withstand it’s killer effects. Glyphosate has been found in staggering amounts in human urine and is not only found in our food, but in the water system.

For farmers like Pedersen, there are multiple problems with glyphosate. Not only does he have to worry about consuming it himself, but he has rising concerns about its effects on his piglets.

Pedersen produces 13,000 pigs each year and is a supplier to Europe’s largest pork producer Danish Crown. When he became alarmed at the deformities among his pigs, he eliminated the genetically modified food sources and switched to non-GM feed. While some of the problems didn’t entirely disappear, improvements were remarkable.

“When using GM feed I saw symptoms of bloat, stomach ulcers, high rates of diarrhea… but when I switched [to non GM feed] these problems went away, some within a matter of days,” said Pedersen.

“It shocks me that the industry does not take the evidence of Roundup’s and glyphosate’s harmful effects more seriously than it does,” he also said.

In addition to making the piglets healthier, the switch also saved Pedersen money and time. “Less abortions, more piglets born in each litter, and breeding animals living longer,” he said among the changes. He’s had to use less medicine and has had higher productivity as a result.

Study: Rats Fed Lifetime of GMOs Develop Tumors, Die Early

When the deformed piglets were tested, Pedersen says they all had glyphosate in their organ tissues.

“We’ve never been told the truth about the dark side of the chemical agents. We only heard about the production advantages,” he said.

In humans, glyphosate has been linked to hormonal disruptions, sterility and cancer. But it’s long-term effects are simply not known. For the most part, we are all the guinea pigs in this scientific experiment, one that those in charge refuse to pull the plug on.

Hard-Hitting Report: Pigs Fed GM Diet Experience Significant Health Problems (Photos)

A 2013 report came to somewhat similar, equally disturbing findings.

Scientists found that pigs fed a diet of GM corn and soy experienced numerous adverse health effects, including sever stomach inflammation and an enlarged uterus. The results “are both biologically significant and statistically significant.”

Published in the Organic Systems Journal, the peer-reviewed study analyzed 168 just-weaned commercial pigs for 22.7 weeks, or just over 5 months. Half of the pigs were fed popular GM corn and soy varieties, while the other half were fed the same foods, only not GM (though it must have been difficult to find non-GM corn and soy since the vast majority of these two crops are indeed GM).

What the researchers found was startling:

“We found that the level of severe inflammation in stomachs was markedly higher in pigs fed the GM diet. Pigs on the GM diet were 2.6 times more likely to get severe stomach inflammation than control pigs. Males were more strongly affected.

While female pigs were 2.2 times more likely to get severe stomach inflammation when on the GM diet, males were 4 times more likely. These findings are both biologically significant and statistically significant.”

Lead researcher Dr. Judy Carman, adjunct associate professor at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, noted numerous reasons why this study and the findings are important.

• 1. The results were found using real-life, on-farm condition, as opposed to in a laboratory. Plus, strict scientific controls were able to be used that aren’t on farms normally.
• 2. Pigs are consumed by the mass population, so any issues in the pigs may affect the consumer.
• 3. The digestive system of pigs are similar to a human’s digestive system, which causes even greater concern.
• 4. The health complications were the result of crops containing multiple (3) GM genes and the GM proteins that are produced by the crops. Not one food regulator requires that these be tested for safety.

“Our results provide clear evidence that regulators need to safety assess GM crops containing mixtures of GM genes, regardless of whether those genes occur in the one GM plant or in a mixture of GM plants eaten in the same meal, even if regulators have already assessed GM plants containing single GM genes in the mixture

…In my experience, farmers have found increased production costs and escalating antibiotic use when feeding GM crops. In some operations, the livestock death loss is high, and there are unexplained problems including spontaneous abortions, deformities of new-born animals, and an overall listlessness and lack of contentment in the animals,”  Dr. Carman said.

Additional Sources:

Canadian Biotechnology Action Network