In a previous post Pundit discussed a journalistic beat-up. Pundit didn't have time then to do justice to the scale of the beat-up. Here is an attempt to correct that failing.

The beat-up involves ABC journalist Anna Salleh re-broadcasting fears Associate Prof. Jack Heinemann has been spreading about a new GM maize called LY038.

Maize variety LYO38 which has high lysine levels, and was developed for the animal feed market. It has recently been evaluated by Australia's Gene Technology Regulator OGTR.

Many readers will know lysine is an essential nutrient that is quite low in most other maize varieties, generally reducing the quality of maize as a source of protein and causing much malnutrition world wide. Lysine is a component of proteins.

Jack says OGTR have got it wrong.

Here are the questions Anna should have asked Jack.

Question 1.
Isn't it true, Jack, that an existing maize variety called QPM has similar levels of lysine to the new GM LY038 maize you raise safety doubts about with your assumption that high lysine levels in maize is hazardous. (go to the the end of this post for the evidence on this).

The "QPM" maize was developed with huge effort by the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to improve nutrition in poorer maize eating communities world-wide. CIMMYT got The World Food Prize for the effort (see below) and rightly so. QPM means quality protein.

Question 2.
Is it therefore not true Jack that the hazard speculation you are spreading about LY038 also applies to an existing high lysine maize eaten by poor people world-wide?

QPM maize has been widely used this last 6 years or more, and Jack's fears imply it is harmful.

Question 3.
Are you saying, Jack that QPM is a misleading acronym?

Question 4.
Since Jack, you also raising fears about QPM maize which provides better food and nutrition in poor communities world-wide, shouldn't you put up or shut up?

And a question for Anna: Aren't you morally bound to run this corrective story at ABC news?