Contract No QLK1-1999-00651 of the fifth framework programme – Quality of life and management of living resources has as its goal," to develop and validate the scientific methodology which is necessary for assessing the safety of foods from genetically modified plants in accordance with the EU Regulation 258/97 of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients. The project is designed to meet the urgent need for a sensitive and specific testing strategy for GM foods in a scientifically valid and economically feasible manner."

This project is due to complete its work on 01-02-04.

It is then proposed that " The results obtained from this project will be presented at workshops, published in international journals and discussed in international fora, thereby providing a platform from which methodologies and recommendations based on this project can be transformed into internationally accepted guideline tests for safety testing of complex GM foods."

This project is now just past the mid way point, with another fifteen months to go before there will be a specific safety testing strategy for GM foods that is scientifically valid.

This testing strategy would then need to be applied to GM foods.

As no scientifically valid testing strategy for the safety of GM foods exists, is it not premature to be debating their safety as the debate will need to be based on sound science.

My experience is thirty years as a food professional which includes product development.