NJ Scientist Gives Hillary Clinton a $10 Million GMO Challenge

Rock and roll scientist Shiva Ayyadurai has a new target for his quest to raise awareness about the lack of regulation for genetically modified organisms (GMOs)… Hillary Clinton.

Ayyadurai, a Livingston High School Hall of Famer and MIT graduate who engaged in a well-publicized spiritual ceremony with actress Fran Drescher and holds the first U.S. copyright for “email,” first announced his $10 million GMO challenge in November of 2015:

“If Monsanto can disprove the fact that there are no safety assessment standards for GMOs… then I will give them my $10 million building.”

• See related article: Scientist Challenges Monsanto: $10 Million If You Can Prove Me Wrong About GMOs

Undeterred by Monsanto’s snubbing of his $10 million challenge – which Ayyadurai claims that the agrochemical giant still hasn’t accepted – the crusading scientist reissued the same dare last week to possible 2016 presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

“Disprove my research that exposes the lack of safety regarding GMO’s and I will donate $10 million to your presidential campaign,” Ayyadurai stated in a news release aimed at Clinton last week.

“Everyone always attacks the Republicans as corporate henchmen,” Ayyadurai told Patch. “That’s likely true. But for some reason, we are bamboozled to believe that the Democrats are the party of the poor, working people and people of color. When in fact, they are no different.”

Ayyadurai criticized Clinton for what he termed “open support for GMOs and the Clinton Foundation’s cow-towing to Monsanto’s CEO.”

“It’s sheer hypocrisy that Clinton supposedly does yoga, meditates and eats organic food while she pushes GMOs on the rest of us,” Ayyadurai said.

In 2014, Clinton expressed her support for genetically modified crops and crop biotechnology “with a proven track record” during a keynote appearance at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention in San Diego.

See a video from the convention here.

THE RESEARCH

Ayyadurai’s multi-million dare revolves around his alleged discovery of the accumulation of high levels of formaldehyde in GMO-engineered plants, and his resulting shock that “acceptable standards for testing” do not exist.

See his full position paper here.

The scientist appeared at a Livingston Public Schools-sanctioned forum in December, where he spoke about the results of his research, which was aided by several Livingston High School students.

MONSANTO’S REPLY

Charla Lord, a spokeswoman with Monsanto, provided Patch the following statement in December:

“Mr. Ayyadurai’s allegation that there is no safety assessment of genetically modified foods is uninformed. GM crops undergo safety assessments that are more rigorous and thorough than assessments of any other food crop in history. The safety assessment strategy ensures that new GE crops are developed and tested in accordance with comprehensive risk assessment strategies and international safety assessment guidelines.”

According to Lord, those guidelines include:

• World Health Organization – Safety Aspects of Genetically Modified Foods of Plant Origin
• Food and Agriculture Organization – GM Food Safety Assessment
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Safety Evaluation of Food Derived by Modern Biotechnology
• Codex Alimentarius - Principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology
• Codex Alimentarius - Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants

“We do not know Mr. Ayyadurai, and are not aware of repeated – let alone any – professional, scientific attempts by him to meet with us to discuss the rigorous safety standards and testing established to ensure the safety of biotech crops,” Lord stated at the time. “While this appears to be a stunt, if he is truly interested, we would welcome the opportunity. And if he is serious about the building we would be willing to make arrangements with a charity.”

According to Ayyadurai - despite an official invitation - no Monsanto representatives showed up to debate his claims at the December forum at Livingston High School.

• See related article: Scientist Challenges Monsanto To $10M GMO Debate, NJ High School Will Be Battleground

Photo via the Livingston Public Schools

Video: Shiva Ayyadurai appears with musician Neil Young at a 2015 Vermont press conference to speak about GMOs.

Sign up for Patch email newsletter updates here.