Food regulatory institutions in the UK should have robust mechanisms for addressing commercial conflicts of interest, argues a new article published in the journal Nature Food. The research, published jointly by Emeritus Professor Tim Lang of the Center for Food Policy, City, University of London, and Emeritus Professor Erik Millstone of the Science Policy Research Unit, at the University of Sussex Business School, suggests that not one of the bodies advising the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) or the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is free from conflicts of interest. Their research highlights how the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, which advises Defra ministers on the safety and acceptability on GM crops, consists of seven members, of whom only one declares no conflicts of interest. Furthermore, between the other six Committee members they have declared conflicts of interest with 16 different industrial corporations. Phys.org

 

 

Claims that gene editing could produce food with a higher nutrient density or cope better with adverse weather should be approached with cynicism, visitors to Oxford Real Farming Conference heard. This comes after the same declarations were made about genetic modification (GM) some 20 years ago, according to Liz O’Neill director of GM Freeze. She told the conference, “The vast majority of GM [crops grown] are herbicide tolerant or insect killing [Bt]. Those two [traits] have been successful but if you go back 25 years, GM was going to provide drought resistant, highly nutritious crops. All the same claims made in the early days of GM are now being made about [gene editing].” Farmers Guardian (register for access)

 

 

Tests on Irish families have found one in four people had the controversial weedkiller ingredient glyphosate in their system. The tests were carried out on farming and non-farming families, but the results were similar for both. Scientists from University of Galway, who conducted the research, say it shows that glyphosate is present in the general environment, not just around farms where it is most in use. Independent.ie

 

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