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ANCAMAN & BAHAYA BIBIT TRANSGENIK DI INDONESIA

 (FAKTA DI LAPANGAN - KASUS JAGUNG Bt)

JAKARTA - Meski ditolak kehadirannya di Eropa dan Australia, bibit tanaman transgenik diduga sudah ada yang masuk ke Indonesia. Agen-agen perusahaan multinasional yang menjual bibit tanaman transgenik itu mulai kampanye memasarkan dagangannya. "Pemerintah harus berhati-hati meloloskan bibit tanaman transgenik. Sebab, akibatnya bisa sangat fatal, merusak ekosistem," ungkap Untung Suwahyono, peneliti bidang teknologi bio-industry BPPT saat jumpa pers seminar nasional Industri Enzim dan Bioteknologi II di Jakarta Selasa (8/2). Seminar yang membahas berbagai penelitian enzim dan pemanfaatannya dalam industri oleh para pakar dalam dan luar negeri itu akan berlangsung 15-16 Februari.

Menurut Untung, bila dilihat sepintas, tanaman transgenik atau 'modified living organism (MLO)' sangat menguntungkan. Ia memberi contoh jagung Bt - tanaman jagung yang kromosomnya sudah diganti dengan kromosom bakteri tanah 'Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)' - yang kini diproduksi AS. Serangga atau ulat yang memakan batang jagung ini, jelas Untung, akan mati. Ini terjadi karena sel-sel jagung transgenik itu mengeluarkan racun. Disamping itu, jagung inipun bisa tumbuh baik di lahan kritis. Dengan keunggulan seperti itu, jagung Bt amat menguntungkan. Petani tak membutuhkan lagi pestisida kimiawi, karena pestisidanya sudah 'inherent' dalam sel-sel tanaman itu.

Tapi bila dipikir lebih jauh, kata Untung, justru sifat-sifat jagung Bt seperti itulah yang akan merusak jagung asli dan ekosistem secara luas.

"Apa bisa dijamin karbohidrat dan protein yang ada pada jagung itu akan terbebas dari racun Bt," katanya.

Menurut Untung, kemungkinan terjadi evolusi perubahan struktur kimia dalam protein atau zat-zat lain yang terkandung dalam jagung Bt sangat memungkinkan. Bila hal itu terjadi, jagung Bt merupakan monster yang akan mengancam manusia. Untung memberi contoh kasus keracunan protein transgenik di AS. "Beberapa orang alergi dan diantaranya ada yang meninggal setelah mengkonsumsi protein dari tanaman transgenik," jelasnya. Karena itu, "pemerintah Indonesia sebaiknya jangan meloloskan dulu bibit tanaman transgenik Bt. Sebaiknya diteliti dulu dari pelbagai aspek secara mendalam," ungkap Untung.

Menurut pakar biologi ini, mengendalikan penyebaran jagung Bt sangat sulit. Tepung sari jagung Bt yang terbawa angin akan terbang jauh sehingga perkawinan alami dengan jagung asli sulit dihindarkan. "Jagung-jagung asli yang berada di tempat jauhpun sulit menghindari perkawinan alam dengan jagung alam. Akibatnya dalam jangka panjang, spesies jagung 'indigenous' bisa hilang," paparnya. Masalah itu, kata alumnus Fakultas Biologi UGM itu, bertambah jika tepung sari jagung Bt itu jatuh pada gulma yang sejenis jagung. Gulma itu bisa berkembang cepat karena bisa mudah tumbuh di lahan kritis dan sukar dimusnahkan dengan herbisida.

Eropa dan Australia kini melarang penanaman bibit transgenik. Bahkan di Amerika, tanaman transgenik menimbulkan kontroversi. Saat ini, modofikasi gen Bt dalam tanaman baru dilakukan untuk beberapa jenis species seperti jagung, kedelai, kapas, dan kentang.

Menurut Meneg LH Dr. Sonny Keraaf, para pecinta lingkungan di Eropa kini sedang memprotes keras masuknya tanaman transgenik. "AS dan Eropa sampai terlibat perang dagang karena kasus jagung transgenik ini," kata Sonny belum lama ini.

Di Indonesia, kata Untung, jamur Bt sudah dicoba dimanfaatkan untuk bioinsektisida. "Kami telah mencoba bio-insektisida dengan bahan Bt. Hasilnya sudah memuaskan," ungkap Untung.

BAHAYA HAYATI BIBIT MODIFIKASI GENETIS (KASUS KAPAS Bt) KLIK DISINI

DI AMERIKA, JAGUNG Bt ILEGAL DITARIK DARI PEREDARAN 

Illegal GE Corn Found in Taco Shells (Jagung Rekayasa Genetik (GE) ilegal ditemukan di 'Taco Shells')

September 19, 2000

Genetically Engineered Food Alert, a coalition of health, consumer and environmental groups, demanded that taco shells marketed using the Taco Bell name be immediately removed from grocery store shelves across the country. In independent testing, a sample of the taco shells was found to contain a form of genetically engineered corn not approved for direct human consumption.

Test results obtained by Genetically Engineered Food Alert member
group Friends of the Earth from an independent laboratory indicate
the presence of Cry9C corn, a variety of genetically engineered corn
not approved for direct human consumption, in Taco Bell taco shells
sold at grocery stores. Cry9C, a plant pesticide marketed by Aventis
under the name of StarLink, is currently deemed fit only for animal
consumption by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Aventis has applied for an exemption to this restriction even though
the EPA has warned that Aventis' data indicate "that Cry9C exhibits
some characteristics of known allergens." Cry9C was found to be heat
stabile and resistant to stomach acids and enzymes, indicating that it
could be a potential allergen. Possible health effects of this category
of allergen, which may include nausea and anaphylactic shock, are not
currently known due to a lack of adequate testing by government and
industry.

"According to the tests, Taco Bell and Philip Morris have used a
genetically engineered ingredient that could put the health of their
customers at risk," said Larry Bohlen, Health and Environment
Programs Director at Friends of the Earth. The taco shells tested
were distributed by Kraft, a subsidiary of Philip Morris, under the
name Taco Bell. "Consumers need to know whether this is just the tip of
the iceberg."

Friends of the Earth also plans to submit taco shells from Taco Bell
restaurants for testing.

A lawyer for Genetically Engineered Food Alert filed a letter with
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on behalf of the
coalition calling upon the Agency to recall the adulterated taco
shells, as permitted under law, if the manufacturer does not
implement a voluntary recall.

"This is a legal violation and FDA clearly has the authority to
seize the product if Taco Bell and Philip Morris do not recall it,"
said Joseph Mendelson, Center for Food Safety legal director.

The coalition also requested that the FDA move swiftly to test for
the presence of Cry9C corn in all products containing non-organic
yellow corn #2, the grade of corn to which Cry9C belongs. According
to the American Corn Growers Association, only 9% of the
conventional corn crop was segregated from genetically engineered
corn in 1999. Products made with yellow corn #2 may include many
varieties of tortillas, breakfast cereals, corn chips, frozen TV
dinners such as enchiladas and corn meal.

Members of the Genetically Engineered Food Alert condemned the
presence of the genetically engineered ingredient on grocery store
shelves, as indicated by the test results, as a failure of the FDA
to provide adequate oversight of food biotechnology corporations and
food producers. The FDA is empowered by the Federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act to protect the public against genetically engineered plant
pesticides, such as the particular kind of corn containing Cry9C, that
are not approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Genetically Engineered Food Alert founding members include: Center for
Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Agriculture and  Trade
Policy, National Environmental Trust, Organic Consumers Association,
Pesticide Action Network North America, and the State Public Interest
Research Groups.

Genetically Engineered Food Alert supports the removal of
genetically engineered ingredients from grocery store shelves unless
they are adequately safety tested and labeled. The campaign provides
web-based opportunities for individuals to express concern about
genetically engineered food and fact sheets on health, environmental and
economic information about genetically engineered food. The campaign is
endorsed by more than 250 scientists, religious leaders, doctors, chefs,
environmental and health leaders, as well as farm groups.

The recall letters to Taco Bell and Philip Morris, the formal
petition to the FDA, test results, as well as fact sheets on
genetically engineered Cry9C corn, the regulatory history of Cry9C,
and on the laboratory testing protocol are located on the
Genetically Engineered Food Alert Web site at
http://www.gefoodalert.org/recall

Source: Genetic Engineering Food Alert press release, September 18,2000.

Contact: Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Third Floor,
Washington DC 20005-6303; phone (202) 783-7400; fax (202) 783-0444;.
http://www.foe.org