最近国内因美国塔夫茨大学(Tufts University)用转基因大米--黄金大米在中国儿童身上做试验引起了一场风波。所谓黄金大米是通过转基因技术在水稻中加入能产生β-胡萝卜素的基因从而使成熟大米中含有β-胡萝卜素。β-胡萝卜素被人体吸收后能被转化成维生素A，对人体健康有益。

普通大米和通过转基因技术含有β-胡萝卜素的黄金大米

      黄金大米听起来听起来不错，但是否能增进人体健康并对人无害还得需要试验来证明。最近《美国临床营养学杂志》（The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition）发表了一篇由塔夫茨大学（Tufts Univeristy）提交的的论文，宣称“黄金大米对于儿童补充维生素A和β—胡萝卜素胶囊一样有效。”（Golden Rice, genetically engineered to be rich in carotene, is effective at providing vitamin A to children）。这篇论文中国引起了一场不小的风波，原因是该试验一部分在湖南省衡阳市进行--让中国儿童试吃那转基因大米，进行试验研究。

     有意思的是国内官方和试验当事人对此事却或一问三不知或含糊其辞。

国内有关黄金大米的报道：

央视称转基因大米曾两次在华进行试吃试验

http://www.chinanews.com/jk/2012/09-09/4169298.shtml

     植物转基因技术在食物中应用，对此国内外一直以来都有争议。当转基因黄金大米在中国进行人体试验时，世界上就有一些科学家联名抗议（More than 30 senior scientists and academics signed an open letter condemning researchers at Tufts University (Boston) in the United States for carrying out clinical trials of genetically modified (GM) ‘Golden Rice’ on children. 'Scientists Protest Unethical Clinical Trials of GM Golden Rice' http://www.i-sis.org.uk/SPUCTGM.php）。因为这个试验违背了二战后人们为了防止纳粹用儿童做试验事件的再次发生而签订的纽伦堡守则（Nuremberg Code of Ethics），而且这个试验还从没在动物身上做过。

当时国外网站的报道：

The Golden Rice Scandal Unfolds

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/goldenRiceScandal.php

     在这个2009年的报道中，当时在中国的试验由于政府在接到反对者的警告后，试验在政府的干涉下被终止了。“An Indian newspaper reported that a clinical trial was cut short in China in July 2008, when the government found that 24 children 6-8 years of age at a primary school in Henyan, Hunan, were to be used as guinea pigs for a trial with Golden Rice. The trial was sponsored by Tufts University and obtained approval from the US National Institute of Health, though not from the Chinese government, which was alerted by Greenpeace. Greenpeace has also warned the governments of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam against the risky trials...”。

     近期发表在AJCN有关黄金大米的论文提要（Abstracts）：

β-Carotene in Golden Rice is as good as β-carotene in oil at providing vitamin A to children

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/3/658.short