2006-11-30 | permalink

EU to seek approval for BASF biotech potato, reviving fight

The EU will ask its 25 members to allow cultivation of a genetically modified potato owned by BASF AG, the first time the EU has proposed allowing a gene crop to be planted since a ban on the products ended. The Amflora potato, modified to increase its starch content, would be used for industrial purposes such as stiffening paper. The European Commission, the EU's regulator, will ask national governments to approve the product on December 4. „We've had a positive scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Agency, which means we'll propose the product for approval,” Barbara Helfferich, the commission's environment spokeswoman, said today by telephone in Brussels. „This is the first application for approval for planting a genetically modified crop since new regulations came into force in 2004.” The 2004 laws were drafted to allow the commission to approve biotech products if not enough countries could agree; six governments consistently blocked the approval of new gene-altered foods from 1999-2004.

• Budapest Business Journal, Hungary: EU to seek approval for BASF biotech potato, reviving fight
• Chemistry World, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK: BASF touts GM spuds for starch
• Chemistry World, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK: Stressed GM potatoes contain increased levels of toxic metabolites