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Impurities found in GM crop trial seed |
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Following notification by biotechnology company Aventis CropScience Ltd of impurities in GM oilseed rape seed used in the farm scale evaluations, DEFRA Minister Elliott Morley said an investigation was being carried out and that any breach of regulations could lead to prosecution.
The unauthorised gene detected in the seed confers a resistance to the antibiotics neomycin and kanamycin. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has said that the impurities do not present any risk to human health, or pose any additional risks to the environment. The crop will be harvested and destroyed, as in all previous farm scale evaluation trials. The GM Inspectorates for England and Scotland are investigating how the contamination occurred.
Elliot Morley said: "The forthcoming public debate on GM issues will provide an opportunity to review current GM controls and regulations."
This page was last updated on 14 August 2002
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