Gene editing of food - consultation.
Posted: 07 Jan 2021, 16:31The government is set to allow gene editing (GE) of food, this alters the DNA of organisms in specific ways. Some scientists regard it as distinct from genetic modification (GM), where DNA from one type of organism is introduced to another.
Sounds like semantics to me.
Not all GM is bad and a lot of it is similar to what we have been doing for centuries just that we did it without the molecular science to back it up. It is how we got hybrid plants, sweeter oranges and different breeds of many animals. I am not against that type of thing.
I am against the other line of GM where genes from one organism are spliced into the genes of another totally unrelated species. I am talking about such things as taking deep sea shrimp DNA and introducing it into soft fruits to make them frost resistant. That sort of thing is a no-no.
So, back to gene editing. For me it will all depend on what is being done and how transparent the process is. And it should go without saying that foods using GE should be clearly marked so that consumers get to choose.
The public consultation will start later in the autumn but already the NFU has come out in favour, so that has probably got it sorted.
Sounds like semantics to me.
Not all GM is bad and a lot of it is similar to what we have been doing for centuries just that we did it without the molecular science to back it up. It is how we got hybrid plants, sweeter oranges and different breeds of many animals. I am not against that type of thing.
I am against the other line of GM where genes from one organism are spliced into the genes of another totally unrelated species. I am talking about such things as taking deep sea shrimp DNA and introducing it into soft fruits to make them frost resistant. That sort of thing is a no-no.
So, back to gene editing. For me it will all depend on what is being done and how transparent the process is. And it should go without saying that foods using GE should be clearly marked so that consumers get to choose.
The public consultation will start later in the autumn but already the NFU has come out in favour, so that has probably got it sorted.