The British government has again placed the debate over genetically modified food firmly into the spotlight, concluding there is no current evidence to suggest such produce is "inherently harmful".
Publishing the results of three government initiatives reviewing regulations governing GM food, the health implications of GM food and an in-depth consultation with the public, the Cabinet Office Minister, Dr Jack Cunningham, told MPs in the Commons the government's overriding duty was to "protect the public and the environment".
He also announced the government would establish two new advisory bodies, the Human Genetics Commission and the Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology Commission, to examine scientific developments and assess potential risks in the production of GM food.
Outlining the findings of a report on the public health implications of GM food carried out by the Chief Medical Officer, Prof Liam Donaldson, and the Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Robert May, Dr Cunningham said they had found "no current evidence to suggest that the genetically modified technologies used to produce food are inherently harmful".
But acknowledging public fears, he said the government endorsed tough voluntary rules to manage the cultivation of GM crops that could form the basis of legislation. However, ministers could see no evidence for a "blanket moratorium" on the cultivation of GM crops.
"The current system for testing the safety of genetically modified products has been found to be both rigorous and effective. However, the system needs to take a broader view of the technology, to be more transparent and to take account of a wider range of viewpoints," Dr Cunningham said.
Field trials of GM herbicide-tolerant crops have already begun in the UK, and Dr Cunningham said these were strictly limited and enabled tests to be carried out on the potential effects on the environment. But unrestricted commercial cultivation of any crop would not proceed "until we are satisfied that it does not harm the environment", he said.
Further public assurances were given by the Agriculture Minister, Mr Jeff Rooker, who said the two new bodies to monitor new technology would go some way to allaying fears over GM products.
"We are not going to introduce foods on an experimental basis," he told a news conference in London. "The public are not going to be used and are not being used as guinea pigs."
Welcoming the publication of the report and the new guidelines, the shadow agriculture spokesman, Mr Tim Yeo, said, however, that the government's response would be judged on whether it placed the protection of the environment and public health higher up its policy agenda.
He urged the government to bring forward labelling requirement on food products that were "simple, clear and accurate".
But the British Medical Association (BMA) said it did not believe the government's recommendations went far enough to meet legitimate safety concerns.
The environmental group Friends of the Earth described the reports as "a miserable inadequate PR initiative".