Like detectives looking for clues, lab technicians at Genetic ID analyze foods for microscopic GMOs. Sitting in his office in Fairfield, Iowa, overlooking fields of corn and soybeans which may be genetically engineered, Fagan emphasized the need to safety test genetically engineered foods. But biotech proponents say the technology is more precise than traditional plant breeding and that modified foods have proved safe. The Union of Concerned Scientists disagrees. Safety testing is left up to the companies that produce them.
Proponents say it's in the best interest of companies to ensure their products are safe.
Nowhere is the debate over genetically engineered foods more intense than in Europe. The British Medical Association called for a moratorium on approving genetically engineered foods, citing unknown risks to the environment and human health. Consumer resistance is so strong that the European Union has called for a moratorium on accepting new genetically engineered crops until 2002. This year's sales look to be similar. Fagan is familiar with the situation in Europe.