Take in the arguments before being sceptical, says Brown
Take in the arguments before being sceptical, says Brown
SCEPTICAL consumers should read up on the scientific arguments behind genetically modified food before questioning its safety, farm minister Nick Brown says.
Mr Brown said he fully accepted the scientific case for the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods, although he recognised many consumers didnt share his views.
But shoppers should realise GM food was safe and sold only after undergoing rigorous testing procedures, he told reporters at the International Food and Drink Exhibition in London.
"If the public are still worried then they should read up on it and consider the scientific case behind it," he said.
For those who still wanted GM-free food, Mr Brown said his recent pledge to introduce stringent labelling laws would apply to food sold by all retail outlets.
Even those ordering pizzas over the telephone would have the right to know whether the food they were buying contained GM ingredients, he said. "If the consumer asks, there will be an obligation for the seller to say."
His current preference was for labelling that would indicate the proportion of GM ingredients in a product. Mr Brown said existing small-print labels which indicated that a product "may contain" GM ingredients were inadequate.
The government is expected to make an announcement on labelling within the next few months.