Letter: Food safety and genetic manipulation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: We have read the article 'Do we have to eat our genes?' (16 October) with concern since we believe that it paints a false picture of the position in the UK.
Far from 'Britain . . . being in a reverie', there has been a systematic and open consideration of the safety issues raised by foods produced by procedures involving genetic manipulation. The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods & Processes, of which we are both members and which also has a consumer representative, publishes an annual report, which is followed then by a press conference.
It was a question put to this committee that led to the work of the Committee on the Ethics of Genetic Modification and Food Use, of which we were also both members. This committee was concerned with ethical issues arising from transgenic foods. It concluded that genes are complex chemicals that take their status from the living cell in which they operate, and that there was no ethical need for a ban on transgenic foods.
It also recognised that particular genetic transfers can give rise to problems for particular communities (such as the transfer of pig genes for Muslims and animal genes for some vegetarians).
Our recommendation relating to labelling was that a practicable system should be derived to facilitate informed choice by those with reservations. The committee certainly did not oppose transgenic foods as such.
Yours faithfully,
DEREK C. BURKE
Vice-Chancellor
University of East Anglia
JOHN POLKINGHORNE
President
Queens' College
Cambridge
19 October
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments