New findings question safety of GMO corn amid regulatory gaps

A leading molecular genetics expert has raised fresh alarms over the health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) foods and the pesticides used alongside them, warning that regulatory systems are failing to keep pace with scientific evidence.

Professor Michael Antoniou, head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at King’s College London, said in an interview that decades of research point to potentially serious health outcomes from consuming genetically engineered corn, particularly as “stacked trait” varieties — crops engineered with multiple insecticidal proteins and herbicide-resistant genes — become more widespread.

Antoniou, who has advised the Mexican government in its efforts to restrict imports of GM corn, cited “a large body of evidence from well-controlled animal toxicity studies” linking GMOs and pesticide mixtures to liver, kidney, immune, and digestive system damage.

He explained that health concerns stem from three main sources: insecticidal Bt toxins engineered into crops, unintended DNA damage from the genetic modification process, and residues from herbicides such as glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D.

“Early-generation GMOs with just one or two Bt toxins already showed signs of toxicity in animal studies,” Antoniou said. “Now we’re dealing with crops that combine up to six Bt toxins with resistance to multiple herbicides, yet regulators have not demanded fresh safety testing. Instead, they’ve assumed safety without scientific proof.”

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He warned that Bt toxins, once thought to break down harmlessly during digestion, may survive in the human body, enter the bloodstream, and trigger immune responses linked to allergies. Reports of allergic reactions to StarLink corn in the U.S., he noted, are consistent with animal research showing Bt proteins can provoke strong immune reactions.

Antoniou also pointed to his recent study in which rats exposed to a mixture of glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D — at regulator-approved “safe” levels — developed oxidative stress in their livers and structural damage in their kidneys. He stressed that regulators have failed to consider “combinatorial toxicity,” despite the reality that people are routinely exposed to multiple chemicals at once.

“Regulatory assessments are stuck in the 1990s,” Antoniou said. “They ignore the risks of stacked-trait GMOs and the combined effects of pesticide mixtures, even though evidence shows these exposures can cause serious harm.”

While no large-scale epidemiological studies have yet confirmed direct links between GMO consumption and rising food allergies or intolerances in humans, Antoniou said the correlations and biological mechanisms are compelling enough to warrant urgent investigation.