India’s moratorium on GM eggplant not based on food safety

Years after the government imposed an indefinite moratorium on the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, genetically-modified for resistance to the fruit and shoot borer, a principal scientist of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, puts forth a strong case for its commercial approval.

“Debunking” the criticism surrounding the country’s first transgenic food crop, Dr Gurinderjit Randhawa said: “Bt Brinjal is safe for human consumption and should be commercialised at all costs.”

Randhawa agrees that these crops are controversial and it is difficult to obtain an “overwhelming” consensus in their favour. “GM crops are good but one has to be cautious,” she said. About making such crops available to consumers through farmers, she said: “After a research is presented, it undergoes lot of tests. Experts from diverse fields weigh the risks and the benefits involved before giving any crop a go-ahead.”

On the risks such problems pose to consumers, she said: “No problems are caused if the technology is used the way it is meant to be.”

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: GM crops are safe, commercialise Bt Brinjal: Scientist

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