Alan Simpson (Nottingham South, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what scientific papers he has considered in respect of animal studies that document the effect of the consumption of genetically modified food on changes in the kidney, pancreas and spleen;

(2) what recent international research he has evaluated on the effect on the consumption of genetically modified food on human health, with particular reference to the effects on (a) fertility, (b) immune dysregulation, (c) accelerated ageing, (d) gene disruption relating to cholesterol synthesis, (e) cell signalling, (f) protein formation (g) insulin regulation and (h) changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system.

Gillian Merron (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Lincoln, Labour)

The Food Standards Agency has sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Novel Food and Processes (ACNFP) regarding what conclusions may be drawn from the following publications:

Malatesta et al., (2008), Histochem Cell Biol, 130, pp967-977

Kilic and Akay, (2008), Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46, pp1164-1170

Finamore et al., (2008), J Agric Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/jf802059w

Lelimirov et al., (2008), Forschungsberichte der Sektion IV, Band 3/2008, published by the Austrian Ministry of Health.

The ACNFP considered these publications at its meetings in November 2008 and February 2009, and advised that it was not possible to draw any conclusions about cause and effect in these publications or to assess the significance of these reports for human health. The minutes of these meetings are available on the ACNFP website at:

www.acnfp.gov.uk/meetings/acnfpmeet08/acnfpmeet20nov08/acnfpmin20nov08

and

www.acnfp.gov.uk/meetings/acnfpmeet09/acnfpfeb09/acnfpminl90209