The evidence that ConA transgenic potatoes were the prime interest of Dr Pusztai in his discussions with World in Action and the media prior to the Rowett's discovery of this unpublished data in the public domain is overwhelming.

  1.  The World in Action press release sent out well before the broadcast, ie during or before the weekend of 8-9 August, states: "Scientists have discovered that rats fed genetically modified potatoes suffered stunted growth and damage to the immune system after a 100 days".

  NOTE: Dr Pusztai only had data of stunted growth in his ConA (Jackbean) studies. The GNA (snowdrop) studies showed no stunted growth as he re-emphasised to Prof James and Dr Chesson on the morning of 10 August. In terms of immune results, there were none on genetically modified potatoes fed for 110 days at the time of the broadcast, let alone when filming took place in June. The only data available were on ConA treated potatoes and these turned out to be the spiked, not the transgenic potatoes. Only late on 11 August was this revealed by Dr Pusztai's assistant. The Rowett had no knowledge of the ConA studies until the morning of 10 August, nor any media contact relating to GMOs until the afternoon of 10 August.

  2.  National newspapers quoted evidence on ConA or the Jackbean in their editions available on the morning of 10 August. Thus The Express newspaper's environmental correspondent John Ingham states: "British scientists showed for the first time that a crop given the genes of another species could cause health problems in animals which ate it".

  "They found that rats fed potatoes given a bean gene suffered from slightly stunted growth and were likely to be more vulnerable to disease. The expert who led the governement funded research claimed that the British public were being treated like `guinea pigs' in the rush to bring GM foods on to the market."

  "`Professor Pusztai fed rats for 110 days on potatoes given a bean gene to make it resistant to insects. He said: `these potatoes are designed to affect insects, so we wanted to know what impact they would have on higher mammals'."

  "`The effect was slight growth reductions and an effect on the immune system. We do not know whether it was temporary or irreversible.'"

  NOTE: In this Express article quotations are used for text which was not in the World in Action press release so presumably came from the personal discussions between Dr Pusztai and The Express newspaper as stated by Dr Pusztai. Only ConA transgenic experiments are discussed in relation to GM foods with no mention of GNA transgenics.

  3.   The Times on the morning of 10 August contained an article by Nigel Hawkes entitled "Gene potatoes damage rats' immune systems". The article specifies "Professor Arpad Pusztai of the Rowett Research Institute" as providing him with a series of quotes throughout the article. The third paragraph has Nigel Hawkes' account of the studies as follows: "the trials have been carried out on potatoes carrying genes from both the snowdrop and the Jackbean. The genes are responsible for producing proteins called lectins, which protect the parent plants from aphid and nematode attack. Potatoes resistant to these pests could be valuable."

  "But lectins are known to damage immune-system cells, so the feeding experiments with rats were designed to see if the damage occured when the lectins were present in the potatoes. In the case of the snowdrop lectin, no such effect was observed, but the jackbean lectin did suppress the immune system."

  Then Nigel Hawkes quotes as from Dr Pusztai as follows: "`The feeding trial went on for 110 days, equivalent to 10 years in human terms. The result' he said `emphasised the need for proper trials of all modified crops.'"

  "`If you start with the idea that a gene isn't toxic, and just go through the motions, you won't find anything,' he said. `But that isn't good enough. You have to really demonstrate that there are no harmful effects. Our modified potatoes will only be released after such tests have been completed, and I can tell you that the one with jackbean in it will not be released at all.'"

  NOTE: Dr Pusztai identifies the Jackbean-modified potato study as showing the toxic effects and implies that there were other studies, presumably with the snowdrop, referred to by Nigel Hawkes as the experiment of lesser concern.

  4.  Reuters, London, 10 August. "Genetically modified potatoes can damage the immune systems of rats, according to British research released today that calls into question the safety of the new food technology".

  "Professor Arpad Pusztai of Aberdeen's Rowett Institute said he had fed five rats on genetically modified potatoes that carried genes from the snowdrop and jackbean for 110 days—equivalent to 10 years in human terms."

  "His research showed that the rats suffered from slightly stunted growth and were more likely to be vulnerable to disease. It was thought to be the first time that trials of genetically modified food had showed harmful effects."

  NOTE: This release may explain the global interest in the stunted growth and vulnerability to disease (elsewhere related to the immune system) which was the basis for all telephone calls from 9 am on Monday, 10 August 1998. All the telephone calls related to ConA (Jeackbean), presumably because the immune data and stunted growth only applied to the supposedly completed ConA transgenic data.

  5.  Evidence from the broadcast World in Action programme itself on the evening of 10 August 1998. The transcript specifies as follows:

  "Andrew Brittain: `Rats have fed two different kinds of genetically modified potatoes which are not on sale and have never been eaten by humans. The rats ate them for more than 100 days, the human equivalent of 10 years'."

  Later by Andrew Brittain: "animals fed on one kind of research potato remained perfectly healthy. But rats given the other set did show ill-effects. The Professor is so concerned about the implications of his discovery, he's decided to publicise his findings early. Tonight, he reveals them for the first time".

  Arpad Pusztai: "The effect was slight growth retardation and an effect on the immune system. One of the genetically modified potatoes, after 110 days, made the rats less responsive to immune effects".

  Note: On 10 August Dr Pusztai had no immune results from any genetically modified potato experiments fed for 110 days. Professor James and Dr Chesson were told on Monday morning 10 August, by Dr Pusztai, to ignore the GNA studies since they showed no effects. Professor Bremner, Deputy Director of the Rowett, was also told on the afternoon of 10 August by Dr Susan Bardocz, leader of the Pusztai team, when challenged as to whether spiked or transgenic ConA studies had been conducted responded that they had "looked at all combinations". It was the Rowett's insistence on seeing all the data, particularly on GNA, which led on Tuesday evening, 11 August, to the discovery that no transgenic ConA studies had been conducted and that no immune studies were available on 110-day-fed transgenic GNA potato experiments.