EU lifts ban on GM sweet corn

The European Union lifted its six-year moratorium on GM products today by approving imports of an insect-resistant strain of sweet corn for human consumption.

David Byrne, the commissioner for health and consumer protection, said the Bt11 strain from Swiss-based Syngenta was approved after “the most rigorous pre-marketing assessment in the world.

“It has been scientifically assessed as being as safe as any conventional maize,” he said in Brussels. “Food safety is therefore not an issue, it is a question of consumer choice.”