In 1995, biochemist Árpád Pusztai began testing potatoes engineered with the snowdrop GNA lectin gene, feeding raw and cooked samples to rats while using Desiree Red potatoes as controls. In a 1998 World in Action interview, he said the genetically modified potatoes were associated with damage to the rats’ intestinal lining and immune systems, adding that he would not eat the product and objected to treating citizens as “guinea pigs.” The claims triggered intense public scrutiny of agricultural biotechnology and food-safety testing.
The Rowett Research Institute’s director, Philip James, initially supported Pusztai but then suspended him, barred public statements by Pusztai and his wife and collaborator Susan Bardocz, and used misconduct procedures to seize the raw data. An August 10 statement from Rowett falsely claimed that Pusztai had used the known toxin Concanavalin A; the experiment used snowdrop lectin. Rowett’s audit and six anonymous reviewers criticized the work, while 21 scientists issued a supporting memorandum in February 1999. The Lancet published the results in 1999 only after unusually extensive review, but the Royal Society of Medicine called the study flawed and said no conclusions should be drawn because, among other issues, the groups contained too few rats. Pusztai’s contract was not renewed, leaving a lasting dispute over scientific standards, institutional censorship, and GMO risk assessment.
