Government set to approve GM crops

19 May 1999

Government set to approve GM crops

THE government is set to declare that genetically modified (GM) foods are safe to eat and grow.

Dr Jack Cunningham, the minister for the cabinet office, will lead a series of initiatives to assure the public on the safety of GM crops.

These will include the appointment of “peoples judges” to the main scientific advisory bodies monitoring GM developments.

The move follows a report on GM food by the governments chief medical officer and chief scientific officer which found no evidence they are harmful.

The study has taken into account the views of independent scientists as well as those working directly for the government and on the £3 million GM crop trials.

It judges the dangers of GM crops to be minimal and dismisses fears about GM pollen transfer, cross-fertilisation, and entry into the human body.

Dr Cunninghams position is bolstered by the publication yesterday of a separate report from the Commons Science and Technology Committee.

That report accused supermarkets of “rolling over” in the face of hysterical media reports by withdrawing GM food from shelves.

It also claimed that the poor publicity surrounding the debate over GM crops will jeopardise Britains lead in biotechnology.

Dr Cunninghams hand is also strengthened by a the Royal Society which yesterday criticised the research of Dr Arpad Pusztai.

It was Dr Pusztai who first suggested last summer that GM food may pose a danger to humans after he fed GM potatoes to rats.

• Pusztais GM work flawed – Royal Society, FWi, yesterday (18 May, 1999)
• GM food fails medical, FWi, 17 May, 1999
• MPs demand more GM controls, FWi, 14 May, 1999
• Ministers questioned over GM crops, FWi, 29 April, 1999
• New GM regulations due soon, FWi, 28 April, 1999
• Cunningham attacks GM hysteria, FWi, 27 April, 1999
  

• The Times 19/05/02/99 page 2
  
• The Independent 19/05/02/99 page 10
  
• Financial Times 19/05/99 page 21 (Editorial), 22
  
• The Guardian 19/05/99 page 1, page 11
  
• The Daily Telegraph 19/05/99 page 1, page 2, page 7
  
• The Herald 19/05/99 page 1, page 10, page 18 (Leader)