- The Government has been urged by its
most senior medical and science advisers to set up a special unit to monitor
the potential health risks of eating genetically modified food.
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- The chief medical officer, Professor
Liam Donaldson and chief scientific adviser Sir Robert May told ministers
a health monitoring unit is needed as understanding of the effects of the
technology is still "developing", the Independent on Sunday said.
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- It would be similar to the one that established
a link between BSE-infected cows and killer brain disease CJD.
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- The unit would "monitor the health
effects of GM organisms, similar to the unit monitoring CJD", the
paper quoted the report as saying.
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- It should also scrutinise "potential
health effects" including "foetal abnormalities, new cancers
and effects on the human immune system".
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- A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office
confirmed the ministerial committee on biotechnology and GM organisms had
received the draft report "a while ago".
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- She said it had been commissioned so
ministers could assess the "public health implications" of GM
food.
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- She stressed the report, which will be
published once the final version has been studied by ministers, had found
"no evidence" of any health risks and there was "no cause
for concern".
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- However, neither the Cabinet Office nor
the Department of Health was able to confirm the advisers recommended setting
up a health monitoring unit.
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- The ministerial committee is chaired
by Cabinet Office Minister Dr Jack Cunningham, who last week attacked the
"media hysteria" over the debate on GM foods. \
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