The Party has been campaigning for the past 18 months for a complete ban on these products in the interests of food safety and the environment. Genetically engineered foods containing genes derived from animals, fish, insects and bacteria are now starting to appear in the shops. The genetic changes now being made in the nation's food are completely different to those resulting from traditional methods of breeding. Yet, the sale of these foods is being permitted without proper assessment of the risks and without adequately informing the public, even though many scientists say that genetically modified foods could cause serious damage to health and the environment.
Genes are the blueprints for every part of an organism.
Genetic engineering is the process of modifying this information, particularly by artificially transferring the genes specific to one type of organism into another. Scientists want to transfer desirable qualities from one organism to another, for example, to make a crop resistant to a herbicide or to enhance food value. At first sight it may seem appealing. However, closer examination of the issues gives a different picture. After BSE and other food scares, we should by now all be alert to the dangers of interfering with Nature.