Government accused of distributing 'blatant pro-GM food propaganda'

A brochure being circulated in major supermarket chains angers Greenpeace

A leaflet extolling the benefits of genetically modified food is being distributed to shoppers by the government, angering environmentalists who are opposed to the controversial products.

The brochure, the GM Food Newsletter, dated April and published by the Food and Environment Hygiene Department, has been labelled 'blatant pro-GM food propaganda' by Greenpeace. It is being distributed through supermarket chains, government offices, libraries and health centres.

It features a conversation about GM soya milk between a 'health-conscious' mother concerned about the safety of GM products and her daughter, a university student studying biotechnology.

The daughter tells her mother that GM soya beans have been developed to be tolerant to herbicides, reducing the need for herbicides and preventing crop damage. She also explains that all GM foods are subject to a safety assessment before being released on to the market and are 'as safe as their conventional counterparts'.

Greenpeace spokesman Martin Baker said: 'The government is pushing GM food safety whilst at the same time understating the potential risks.

'The government's role is to educate and inform the public, not to blatantly promote what is an unproven technology.'