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The Royal Society has called on the British government to set up a regulatory body to oversee all aspects of developing genetically modified food. The society also wants an end to the use of antibiotic-resistance marker genes in genetically modified food products.

The recommendations are made in a report assessing the science and regulation of genetically modified food products. Released today (3 September), the report was written by an expert group set up by the society to address the current public controversy over genetically modified food.

The report is broadly enthusiastic about the potential of genetic modification to address future food requirements. But it voices concerns about the lack of coordination of regulations in Britain, and says, as had been expected (see Nature 394, 207; 1998), that there should be a single, “over-arching” body to monitor all safety and regulatory aspects of genetic engineering in agriculture and food production.

Companies wishing to grow or sell genetically modified produce must currently comply with a stepwise set of regulations governing laboratory studies, research and commercial field trials, and entry into the food chain. Regulations are set and monitored by different government departments, which are in turn advised by their respective scientific advisory committees.

The proposed body would oversee the enforcement of these regulations, keep track of the whole “life history” of a genetically modified crop plant, and monitor research questions such as the transfer of genes between crops. The report urges the government “not to delay further action in taking this direction”.

Public concerns about genetic modification are also covered in the report. However, it does not advocate a labelling scheme for all food containing genetically modified organisms. In line with European Union regulations, it “strongly supports” labelling “where the new foodstuff is substantially changed from that of its conventional counterpart”.

The report recognizes the difficulties faced by retailers who want to buy non-genetically modified food where suppliers do not segregate modified and non-modified varieties. It says research is needed to develop “scientifically validated testing methods” that can recognize an agreed minimum level of proteins produced by modified genes.

It also draws up a list of issues on genetic modification that need further research. These include using alternatives to antibiotic-resistance marker genes and assessing the impact of virus-resistant and insect-tolerant plants on ecosystems.

However, the report does not support a moratorium on the commercial release of genetically modified crops. A moratorium pending the outcome of research issues is advocated by community pressure groups and environmentalist and consumer organizations, as well as by the government's wildlife advisory body, English Nature.

The society says it considers the risks of genes spreading from genetically modified crop plants to wild species to be slight. It adds that there is little evidence from field and laboratory studies that such crops have an adverse impact on other plants or on insects.

The report does, however, acknowledge the scarcity of research data on the environmental impact of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops, as such crops have been grown commercially only since 1995 (in the United States and Canada, but not in the United Kingdom).