The first human death caused by consuming genetically modified food was officially confirmed by the doctors in Carlos III hospital. The man was Juan Pedro Ramos who ate recently developed tomatoes which contained fish genes. They triggered the strong allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, which was actually the main cause for his death, confirmed by tests done on the tomatoes he ate prior to falling ill.
Dr. Rafael Perez-Santamarina explained that they initially thought his food was contaminated from a contact with seafood or fish during the preparation. However, once they tested the tomatoes he consumed, they discovered certain allergens that are typically found in seafood. After doing number of analysis, they gave strong confirmation that the source of the allergens that killed Juan Pedro Ramos are the tomatoes.
This first case of human death caused by consuming GMO food contradicts many studies which suggested that GMO’s are completely safe to eat.
This type of problem was first anticipated by a team of scientists from the University of Nebraska in 1996. They discovered that the Brazil nut protein included in the GM soybeans to improve their nutritional quality, can cause allergic reaction in those allergic to Brazil nuts. But many scientists dismissed this kind of problem, marking it as extremely improbable as it can be simply avoided with the help of proper safety testing.
This type of soybean with included Brazil nut protein was abandoned, but the GM tomatoes consumed by Mr. Ramos seem to have avoided undergoing sufficient testing, failing to identify the lethal risk before being introduced in the market.
The tomatoes were imported from Portugal, and they were recalled and removed from stores and markets after Mr. Ramos incident, following an order given by the Spanish ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality. The public safety officials and ministry inspectors will therefore cease over 7,000 tons of tomatoes across the country.
In a public statement, the ministry sent its condolences to Mr. Ramos’ family, adding that they ask for an immediate research on the issue, to discover if there are other GMO foods on the European market that pose threat to the lives of the Spanish population.
