Biotech Updates

Genetically Modified Bt Maize is Safe, EU Scientists Say

January 27, 2012

Results of the 25 year study funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) on the safety of genetically modified maize were released recently. Speaking in a panel discussion, Stefan Rauschen of the RWTH Aachen and Joachim Schiemann, Director of the Institute for the safety of biotechnological processes in plants of the Julius Kuehn Institute, revealed that no genetically modified crops studied was found to have a damaging effect on the environment.

According to Petra Steiner-Hoffman of BMBF, "the German BMBF seeks to promote in light of the proven environmental safety of genetically modified plants, to continue agricultural biotechnology research and advocate for freedom and openness of technology. We can not exclude certain technologies from the outset. We need an intelligent mix of new technologies and that includes green genetic engineering".

The original news in Deutsch can be seen at http://www.biosicherheit.de/aktuell/1388.igw-biologische-sicherheitsforschung.html