Mr. Dan Verakis
Monsanto

Dear Mr. Verakis:

As I mentioned on the telephone, The Sunday Times will this week be carrying an important story on the human health risks posed by the use of antibiotic markers in GM Crops. Specifically we will be making the following points:

1/ That scientists working for the British government believe that the AAD gene used in your round-up ready cottonseed could lead to the development of an untreatable and possibly fatal form of gonorrhoeae

2/ That, in the Government scientists view, Monsanto has done the "bear (sic) minimum" to investigate this potentially catastrophic possible outcome. They also say that the company has been "selective in its research"

3/ That, although banned in Europe, the crop is already being grown in the US and other parts of the world and that antibiotic resistant bacteria do not respect international boarders (sic)

4/ That British government scientists have recently expressed their "grave reservations" about the planting of this crop to the US Food and Drug Administration

5/ That antibiotics are sued as markers in GM seeds simply because they are cheaper than other alternatives

6/ That there is new scientific evidence to suggest that antibiotic markers, including the AAD gene, could jump betwen the crop and illness causing (sic) bacteria in humans. This includes peer reviewed British Government research which shows:

- DNA survives long enough in human saliva to transfer genes to oral bacteria
- Antibiotic resistance genes can jump rapidly from one bacteria to another
- An antibiotic resistance gene in a GM maize mutates within the plant. One of its possible mutant forms is the only antibiotic that can tackle meningococcal meningitis
- DNA strands long enough to contain antibiotics can survive the mild processing involved in the creation of animal feeds

These points will form the basis of our story to run this Sunday. I would be grateful if you could fax your response to me if you believe any is needed before midday tomorrow, 24 April.

Yours Sincerely,

Paul Nuki
Head of news room investigations

23 April 1999