All consumers, especially vegans and vegetarians are right to be revolted by the threat of a brave new world of eating genetically engineered (GE) soy products that have been engineered with pig genes.

The USDA has approved Moolec’s genetically engineered (GE) soybean product which comprises of 26.6% pork myoglobin protein and contains bacterial genes resistance to antibiotics. Moolec, a subsidiary of BioCeres, is also seeking approval to engineer beef genes into peas.[1]

The pig-soy beans have been approved to be grown in Argentina. APHIS the regulatory body for GE organisms will have no authority to regulate for safety the pork soybean nor its progeny that is derived from crosses with non-modified plants.[2]

Everyone has reason to worry about contamination of conventional food by patented genetically engineered plants and animals. The ability for GE pig-soy genes to spread into the environment and out-cross to other varieties of soy is a real threat. Nobody knows what the impact of the pig-soy will be on the health of animals or people. History shows that unintended consequences can be serious. Only time revealed the cause of prion problems like BSE – bovine encephalitis in cows or CJD in humans.

"Failure to control cross-contamination puts all consumers choice at risk, not just vegetarians and vegans who don’t want soy with pork protein,” said Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE-Free NZ.

Indigenous farmers in Argentina are already severely impacted by the toxic environment and destruction of soil from intensive farming of costly patented GE crops and the associated pesticides. The continued destruction of the Amazon to grow genetically engineered soy is the biggest climate disaster that Governments are ignoring [3],[4], [5]

“The US system is deregulated which opens the door to new risks to the environment and people’s health. The integrity of plant species is being disrupted by genetic engineering,” said Claire Bleakley, GE-Free NZ president.

“Deregulation of GE products is based on shallow reasoning and serious environmental and health problems that could arise have been totally overlooked.”

Moolec’s pig-soy is a wakeup call that regulatory bodies and Governments must bring to order the extremes of genetic engineering. The risk of contamination and polluting the seed supply with animal genes that should never be part of the plant food chain is of international concern.

The destruction of the natural seed and integrity for the food chain will be a disaster for future generations faced with the impossible task to clean up. Imports of Argentinian soy in 2023 to New Zealand accounted for 460,000 metric tonnes. Much of it used as animal feed not the human food chain.[6]

It is encouraging that most consumer-facing brands in supermarkets deliberately exclude GE soy and use identity preserved non-GMO and organic soy.

References:

[1] https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2022/04/25/Proudly-genetically-modified-Moolec-molecular-farming-co-gears-up-to-launch-meat-proteins-from-GM-crops

[2] https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/23-234-01rsr-response.pdf

[3] https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/the-impact-of-soybeans-in-argentina-and-beyond-a-double-edged-sword/

[4]https://ourworldindata.org/soy

[5] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22840-7

[6] https://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=nz&commodity=soybean-meal&graph=imports

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