“Corrupt to the Core” paints a disturbing picture of the internal machinations of a government regulator bent on pleasing its drug company ‘clients’, often with scant concern for the public health implications.
Dr. Shiv Chopra is one of three Health Canada scientists whose testimony before a Senate Committee in 1998 triggered headlines around the world. The scientists testified that Health Canada managers had pressured them to release suspect veterinary drugs into the food chain without the evidence of safety required by the Food and Drugs Act.
As Abraham Lincoln said in 1864 during the American Civil War, “As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow”. On the front cover of Dr. Shiv Chopra’s book is a photograph of the Canadian Parliament Buildings and emblazoned in the sky and across the Peace Tower is the audacious title, Corrupt to the Core. In the early part of the last century, this same Parliament gave Canadians the Food and Drug Act to protect human health from adulterated food and to ensure Drug efficacy and safety. During the past ten years, Dr. Shiv Chopra has become a household name in Canada for his attempts to uphold the policies of the Food and Drug Act and its regulations. Within a week of Paul Martin narrowly winning the 2004 general election, Dr. Chopra and two other Health Canada colleagues, Dr. Margaret Haydon and Dr. Gerard Lambert, were fired after decades of opposing the use of antibiotics and hormones in food production.
India needs changes in existing policies and a political will to stop the invasion of genetically modified (GM) products, said Fellow from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Canada in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Dr Shiv Chopra, former scientific advisor to the Candian Ministry of Health said that the option of not to utilize GM products cannot be left solely with the farmers, with multi national companies knocking at their doors with lucrative profit-making offers.
“There has to be critical introspection of the safety of using GM products. Particularly, it needs change in the present policies, legislations and its enforcement,” Chopra said while delivering the 23rd Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial Lecture at the Gujarat Vidhyapeeth in Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad, Feb 02: India needs changes in existing policies and a political will to stop the invasion of genetically modified (GM) products, said Fellow from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Canada in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Dr Shiv Chopra, former scientific advisor to the Candian Ministry of Health said that the option of not to utilize GM products cannot be left solely with the farmers, with multi national companies knocking at their doors with lucrative profit-making offers.
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Ahmedabad : “We should keep away hormones, antibiotics, slaughterhouse waste and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Pesticides should
not be allowed to enter any food.” This was stated by Shiv Chopra, fellow of World Health Organization and author of the book Corrupt to the Core’. Chopra was in city to deliver Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial Lecture on Globalization, Food Security, Public and Prosperity’ at Peace Research Centre in Gujarat Vidyapith.
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