Scientist suspended over misleading information on genetically modified food

The scientist who raised questions about the safety of genetically modified (GM) food for consumption by humans has been suspended for issuing "misleading information". The Rowett Research Institute in Scotland said Dr Arpad Pusztai would no longer have responsibility for any of its GM food research.

The dramatic move was taken yesterday after another scientist outlined her incomplete research, which Dr Pusztai was supervising. His claims centred on early indications that rats had suffered damage to their immune systems and their growth was stunted due to consumption of GM potatoes.

After investigating the research, the institute issued a statement regretting there had been "presentation of information which misled everybody concerned". Dr Pusztai, a native of Hungary, has worked with the institute for more than 20 years and is a world authority on lectins, plant proteins known to cause ill-effects on the human body.

The US biotechnology company Monsanto, which is testing GM crops in Ireland, welcomed the institute's acknowledgment of "the tremendous harm caused by the misleading publicity generated by such inaccurate information".

The company's manager for Ireland, Dr Patrick O'Reilly, singled out for criticism the Green Party, and accused it of "using scaremongering tactics designed to frighten the public" on the issue. He claimed the party had reacted in an irresponsible manner to incomplete and misleading information.

The Green MEP, Ms Nuala Ahern, defended her stance and accused the multinational of "trying to denigrate those calling for the protection of human health".

She added: "I don't think anybody calling for proper clinical assessment of genetically engineered foods can be accused of scaremongering."

The group Genetic Concern accepted there had been confusion of unpublished scientific work but said the results were not necessarily the issue of consumer concern. "The main argument presented by Dr Pusztai was that such testing had not been carried out at all on other genetically engineered foods on the market," its spokesman, Mr Quentin Gargan, added.

The makers of the Granada TV World In Action programme, which on Monday featured Dr Pusztai, said last night they were not responsible for presenting any misleading information on the effects of GM potatoes.

The director of the Rowett Institute had indicated that "separate interviews to other media outlets led to today's action against Dr Pusztai", he said.

The UK information group Foodfuture, which aims to tell consumers about the benefits of biotechnology, said that opponents of its work had based their arguments on "spurious evidence". Its director, Ms Karen Barber, said: "Sloppy science and overblown reporting is no substitute for providing balanced, factual information about genetically modified food."