Alan McHughen

Alan McHughen is a molecular geneticist who spent twenty years at the University of Saskatchewan before joining the University of California, Riverside. He is said to have helped develop Canadian and US regulations governing GM plants.

McHughen developed and spread the GM flax called Triffid which in 2009 was revealed to have contaminated European flax supplies (see "GM-contaminated flax débacle", below).

He is the author of the book, Pandora's Picnic Basket; The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods, which claims to 'explode the myths and explore the genuine risks of genetic modification (GM) technology'. In the same year his booklet "Biotechnology and Food" was published by the American Council on Science and Health, which John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton described in their book, Toxic Sludge is Good for You, as an "industry front group that produces PR ammunition for the food processing and chemical industries".

In Pandora's Picnic Basket McHughen argues that many of the concerns about genetic engineering are based in reality on "myths" and "misinformation". McHughen has even claimed, "Opponents to GM put forward untenable pseudo-scientific assertions, then run away, unwilling or unable to defend their positions."

Yet Pandora's Picnic Basket contains a number of "untenable pseudo-scientific assertions". For instance, on p. 233 we read:

According to Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute the highly respected US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta noted 2471 cases, including 250 deaths, of infection by the unpleasant E. coli strain O157:H7 in 1996 alone. These bacteria live in manure. Manure is used as a fertilizer in organic farming systems. Organic foods were implicated in about a third of the confirmed O157:H7 cases despite the fact that organic food constitutes only about 1% of food consumed in the US.

In fact, according to Robert Tauxe, M.D., chief of the food borne and diarrheal diseases branch of the CDC, there is no such data on organic food production in existence at their centers and he says Avery's claims are "absolutely not true". According to Tauxe, “The goal of the CDC is to ensure food is produced using safe and hygienic methods, and that consumers also practice safe and hygienic methods in food preparation, regardless of the source, be it organic, commercial, imported or otherwise.”

Avery's claims have repeatedly been debunked, with even Gregory Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute commenting that, "looking at a few selectively reported cases from a single year doesn't seem to be convincing anybody who doesn't already have a predilection to believe you in the first place".

GM-contaminated flax débacle

That McHughen should have a predeliction to believe Avery may not be surprising given that McHughen's own work has centered on seeking to genetically engineer industrial traits into flax in the face of strong opposition. The president of Flax Growers Western Canada, Chris Hale, accused McHughen of a 'clear misunderstanding' of flax markets when McHughen argued it was an ideal crop for engineering such industrial traits as the production of plastics or drugs as it wasn't part of the food chain.

Hale pointed out that Europe, which was 'far and away' the biggest importer of Canadian flax, required an assurance from the Canadian Grain Commission that no GM flax was grown in Canada (flax seed oil is an important health product in Europe and is bought by health-conscious consumers as a good source of Omega 3 oils). Hale also pointed out that the residue of flax exported to Europe for industrial purposes is fed to livestock. The Canadian flax industry managed to get a chemical-resistant variety of flax, developed by McHughen, banned from commercial production.

In September 2009 Hale was proved correct – and McHughen was proved wrong – when the Canadian flax seed market collapsed after GM contamination was found. Resource News International reported:

Cash bids for flaxseed in Western Canada have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. with some of the decline being linked to European concerns the crop contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

There were reports that Viterra has lowered its bids in Manitoba to as low as $6.78 a bushel, which would be down significantly from bids in the province ranging from around the $10/bu. level just a few days ago.

A number of elevator companies across the Canadian Prairies are believed to have halted their flax buying program all together.

Article from German press on GM flax scandal

Here is how the Germany-based English language news source The Local reported the GM contaminated flax scandal:

Genetically modified linseed found growing illegally in Germany

The Local (Germany's news in English), 11 September 2009

Officials in Baden-Württemberg have discovered large quantities of genetically modified linseed growing illegally in the southwestern German state. It has apparently been unwittingly sold to several EU countries.

Peter Hauk, the state's agriculture minister, said on Thursday the majority of the seeds came from Canada, which is the principal supplier of linseed to Germany.

"We assume that this discovery will affect not only Germany, but rather all of Europe" Hauk said.

Though the GM linseed is not considered dangerous to consume, it has not been approved for human consumption in the European Union.

Linseed, also known as flax, is used in a number of food products such as pastries or muesli. Linseed oil, which is a high-grade cooking oil, is also a product of the plant.

The German association of large bakeries in Düsseldorf, which had pledged not to use genetically modified material, said the find was a breach of trust. "While this linseed is no health risk, its delivery nevertheless represents a clear breach of the strict delivery specifications of the association and is against the EU laws," said the group's chief executive Helmut Martell.

Bakers around the country are now warning there could be shortages of linseed bread in the coming weeks.

GMWatch comment: Claims that this GM flax presents no health risks have no scientific basis. See Genetically Modified (GM) Foods - Renewed Threat to Europe.

McHughen's part in the GM flax scandal

The GM flax that contaminated flax seed is called Triffid. Alan McHughen, over the strong and vigorous objections of the flax growers in Canada, insisted on bioengineering and then registering this GM Triffid flax with public funds through the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Center. The Flax Development Commission then forced Triffid flax seed to be deregistered and destroyed to avoid losing market share. The University lost a substantial sum of money from this episode.

Views on GM contamination of Mexican maize

Despite his cavalier attitude to genetically engineering flax, McHughen has recognised the problems associated with 'contamination' via pollen drift etc. Perhaps for that reason McHughen was one of the few biotechnologists ready to question the treatment of Dr Ignacio Chapela, the UC Berkeley scientist who published a paper on the contamination of native maize by GM varieties in Mexico. The journal Science and Policy Perspectives reported:

Another scientist who strongly sides with Chapela is Alan McHughen, a researcher at the Crop Development Center at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. McHughen is one of those who believe the outburst toward Chapela was far out of proportion to the alleged offense and senses that the attacks on Quist and Chapela were coordinated and conspiratorial. "I think there are a group of people who for whatever reason don't want to hear anything at all about reasons to question the technology," says McHughen. "I read Chapela's paper over and over again and I just couldn't find anything that was inflammatory about it."