Science Media Centre

The use of glyphosate weedkiller on Auckland parks and footpaths is in the spotlight amidst claims local councils’ spraying programmes are putting the public at risk. This week, the Green Party issued a media release calling for the Environmental Protection Authority to review the use of glyphosate. “Our survey of councils shows thousands of litres of […]

A new study reports that the near-ubiquitous contamination of  ‘chow’ used to feed rats in experiments maybe causing spurious results in toxicology studies. However independent experts say the results may in fact show the opposite –  that there is no cause for concern. The study, published today in PLOS ONE, examined GMO content and the […]

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has conducted an initial review into  a highly criticised French study linking herbicide resistant GM maize and cancer in rats, and found the research substantially lacking in terms of methodology and data. The research was published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology by Gilles-Eric Séralini and colleagues. You can […]

A new study released overnight claims that GM maize treated with the herbicide RoundUp causes a variety of cancers in rats. However scientists have criticised the study’s design and analysis, saying that no clear conclusions can be drawn from the available data. The study’s authors claim that females rats fed the GM maize were 2-3 […]