Meanwhile, the regulatory tests on such crops ought to be tough enough to merit confidence in these agricultural products. American food producers were surprised last summer when France, Austria and Luxemburg rejected American-grown altered corn. The New York Times , in a Nov. 3 story critical of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regulatory standards, detailed how the scientific review process is being reassessed. Ecologists want to make sure altered crops don't upset the balance in some way by, say, creating invasive plants or killing beneficial insects. Critics from some nutritional advocacy groups worry about possible health effects from genes transplanted from another species.
Proponents argue that results can be easier on the environment and healthful.
Some modified plants resist diseases, bugs and insects, thus reducing the need for the use of agricultural poisons. Some alteration is aimed at increasing the nutritional value or extending the shelf life of a food. Either way, thoughtful consumers want to know what they are buying.