‘Need to bridge the information gap on GM crops’

Modern wheat, maize, and potatoes would probably fail the human consumption tests imposed upon genetically modified crops, says UCD professor of crop science Jimmy Burke.

He said food scientists needed to bridge the information gap between the benefits of developing GM crops and widespread public scepticism.

“Many of the crops that we have today never existed in their present form at all and were the result of 10,000 years of selection and classical plant breeding. It is ironic that the current regulatory approvals process is so stringent that crops like wheat, potatoes and tomatoes that we all take for granted would be unlikely to get through the current GMO approvals process.