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| Volume 8, Number 11 | February 16, 2001 |
| Expert panel states concern about GM food regulationA Royal Society of Canada scientific panel says in a major report issued Feb. 5 that genetically modified crops and foods should be more rigorously tested, the testing should be independently reviewed, and there should be a moratorium on genetically modified fish grown on the east and west coasts. The report, by a 15-member panel chaired by Dr. Conrad Brunk of the University of Waterloo and Dr. Brian ellis of the University of B.C., also urged Canada’s regulatory agencies to adopt the controversial "precautionary principle" as a framework for assessing new technologies and GM foods, rather that the old "substantial equivalence" threshold. "When it comes to human and environmental safety, there should be clear evidence of the absence of risks; the mere absence of evidence is not enough," Brunk says. "The onus is clearly on the government to establish testing and approval mechanisms that meet the highest scientific standards," he says. The panel also criticized the secrecy surrounding testing of new GM products, and recommended that external reviews of GM product approvals be introduced, along with increased public access to the test results. The panel also criticized inadequate government support for independent research on the safety of food biotechnology. A Royal Society news release said, "The increasing domination of university research by the commercial interests of the researchers and their industry partners removes incentives for reliable scientific research on the safety of these products."
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