Published Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Genetically engineered foods got a boost in Europe on Monday with the release of a government-sponsored study that said there is no evidence that currently commercialized biotech crops damage human health or the environment.
The report, created for the United Kingdom's environment secretary, said regulators should keep pace with new technology by closely monitoring genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and labeling them. The science team urged a case-by-case review of biotech foods.
"We cannot know everything, but if we are paralyzed by uncertainty, innovation and progress will be stifled," Sir David King, the UK government's chief scientific adviser, said in a prepared statement.
The report is part of the British government's effort to assess the future of biotech foods, one of the most controversial issues in world-food production. European officials appear to slowly be accepting GMOs, but polls indicate European consumers remain largely opposed.