Which is more harmful to nontarget insects, such as the Monarch butterfly?
Very few studies have been conducted on the risk of Bt corn to nontarget insects. Preliminary results from these indicate that the risks are relatively small. Also, millions of acres of forests have been treated for gypsy moth and other pests with Bt insecticides over the past 30 years with little documented effect on nontarget species. On the other hand, the hazards of conventional insecticides to many different nontarget insect species are very well documented. Q: I ve heard that Bt corn is a health threat because it causes allergic responses in some people. Is this true? A: Some experimental transgenic plants have caused allergic responses. The EPA requires several food allergen tests as part of the registration process for transgenic crops containing pesticidal substances. The first test measures the length of time that the potential allergen survives in an acid environment. Longer survival times indicate more likelihood of surviving the digestion process and being absorbed into th
