GM foods 'safe at the moment'

Monday, 21 July 2003 12:00 AM

The Government's review of genetically modified crops has returned a verdict of 'safe at the moment'.

The GM Science Review Panel has published its independent review of the current scientific knowledge on GM crops and foods, chaired by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King.

The review concluded that the risks to human health from the current GM technology are 'very low' and there have been 'no verifiable ill effects' seen from human consumption of GM products.

However, the panel also concluded that any new technology would have to be assessed to ensure that it continues to be used safely.

Sir David King commented, "GM. is not a homogeneous technology on which scientists can make blanket assurances on safety. Applications of GM technology will have to be considered on a case-by-case basis. We cannot know everything but if we are paralysed by uncertainty, innovation and progress will be stifled. The very best science must be brought to bear on the important decisions that will need to be taken in the future."

The review concluded that field experiments on the current generation of GM crops showed that in a range of environments they are 'very unlikely to invade' the countryside and become problematic plants. Nor are they likely to be toxic to wildlife.

However, the Panel believed that the gaps in our knowledge and uncertainties would become more complex if the range of GM plants introduced increases.

The panel called for more research to be done on allergenicity, soil ecology, farmland biodiversity and consequences of gene flow. It also called on companies to develop products that 'meet wider social wishes' and are well designed; and wants see the current system of regulation for GM products to continue.

The Green Party has called on the Government to heed the public's 'severe reservations' about the use of the technology.

Lord Beaumont of Whitley, the Green Party's spokesperson on agriculture, fisheries and foods, argued that the public debate on GM showed that the UK was against the technology's use. He highlighted that at one meeting in Manchester the public voted 110 to one in favour of calling for Government opposition to GM foods.

Lord Beaumont commented, "Opinion polls continue to show strong opposition to GM, the supermarkets have told Tony Blair they're not interested, and even a report from the Number 10 Strategy Unit had to conclude that the current generation of GM crops has little economic value."

"It seems the only people who want GM foods are the biotech companies and their friends in the government. They should stop trying to ram the stuff down our throats."

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