§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to protect public health regarding the increased use of imported soya which has been genetically engineered; and if he will make a statement. [8959]
§ Mr. HoramMinisters are advised on the safety of foods and ingredients obtained from genetically modified—GM—organisms by an independent committee of experts, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. The ACNFP assessed the imported GM soya beans developed by Monsanto in 1994 and concluded that they were toxicologically and nutritionally equivalent to, and therefore as safe as, conventional soya beans.