UK Royal Society says GM crops are safe to eat

Genetically modified crops are safe to eat according to UK’s Royal Society, in what it described as a clear and unbiased guide which aims to dispel misconceptions about GM food.

“Since the first widespread commercialisation of GM produce 18 years ago, there has been no evidence of ill-effects linked to the consumption of any approved GM crop,” the study says. 

This follows the publication last week of a review of 900 pieces of published research into GM, conducted by a committee of more than 50 scientists, researchers and agricultural and industry experts at the US National Academy of Sciences, which also concluded that GM food is safe to eat. 

“This is another solid report confirming that GMOs are just as safe as conventionally bred crops,” said Christopher Gallasch of the industry body EuropaBio. “In essence the report confirms yet again what has been known for years. In fact, GMOs have been safely cultivated and traded for approximately 20 years with no ill effect.”

Gallasch is optimistic that attitudes towards GM in Europe are slowly changing. “There is a growing recognition in many places that GMOs are safe and that the scaremongering around GMOs is incorrect and harmful,” he said.

In response, Franziska Achterberg, a food policy expert with Greenpeace said the conclusion that GM crops are safe is plucked out of thin air. “There aren’t any satisfactory studies in humans or animals that have assessed the potential health impacts of GM food,” she said. “The [US] report also acknowledges that safety testing may be inadequate, and recommends independent studies where tests have produced equivocal results.”