Garden centres [in the UK] have been ordered to withdraw orange petunias from sale over concerns that they may be illegal because they were genetically modified without authorisation.
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) [the trade association for the UK garden industry] told members not to sell the plants pending an investigation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Orange petunias do not occur naturally, and the HTA believes that some plants may have been modified. Scientists suspect that the colour came from a maize gene.
The GM petunias were first identified in Finland in plants and seeds imported from the Netherlands and Germany. British nurseries and garden centres used the same suppliers, so the HTA said it was likely that the petunias had also found their way into the UK. Evira, Finland’s food safety authority, said: “A specific authorisation procedure is required before genetically modified plants are allowed to be cultivated and marketed in the EU. No application has been submitted.”
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Raoul Curtis-Machin, the HTA’s head of horticulture, said GM petunias were not dangerous and would not survive a British winter.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Fear takes root after ban on sale of GM orange petunias
