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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold an open public investigation into the health implications of the currently approved trials of Aventis T25 maize. [5652] Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply. I am confident that the current approved trials of Aventis T25 maize do not pose a risk to health and in any case none of the GM crop in the trials will enter the food or feed chain. The implications of health of Aventis genetically modified maize known as T25 were assessed during the passage of the marketing dossier through the European GMO regulatory regime. T25 maize was granted regulatory approval under Directive 90/220 for unrestricted cultivation throughout the European Union in 1998 through the French authorities. The dossier, including the assessment of risks to health, is on the public register held by my Department and is available for scrutiny. However concerns about the safety of T25 maize for animal feed have been raised and need to be addressed. These concerns have been presented in public as part of the DEFRA public hearing into the seed listing of the variety of T25 known as ChardonLL. This hearing is currently suspended pending further information from the European Commission and the French competent authorities. However, the Government have referred all the written evidence presented to the hearing relating to the safety of T25 to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment for advice. ACRE has sought further advice on the animal feed issues from the Advisory Committee on Animal Feed. ACRE expects to finalise its advice to Government before the end of the year. As part of this re-evaluation we intend to hold an additional open debate involving both Aventis and its critics, where ACRE can question the strength of the scientific evidence from both sides. The safety of T25 maize for use in food is regulated by the European novel food regulations and is a matter for the Food Standards Agency.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

5652; 373 c552-3W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Crops Animal feed Licensing Health hazards Genetically modified organisms Safety Seeds Research Maize Sanofi-Aventis

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk