{"id":139713,"date":"2022-06-21T11:13:18","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T10:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=139713"},"modified":"2022-06-30T11:53:26","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T10:53:26","slug":"the-mass-conflict-behind-gene-edited-produce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/the-mass-conflict-behind-gene-edited-produce\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mass Conflict Behind Gene-Edited Produce"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month, the UK Government announced plans to bring forward \u2018The Genetic Technology Bill\u2019, a new legislation that takes certain precision breeding techniques out of otherwise restrictive GMO rules. <\/strong><\/p>\n

With firm support from George Eustice, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, scientists across the UK argue that these modifications to British produce would create significant benefits to our health, environment and food security. The decision has received strong criticism from the Scottish and Welsh governments, while the public has demonstrated concerns over the lack of labelling required when these products hit the shelves.<\/p>\n

In July 2019, as part of his first speech as prime minister, Boris Johnson announced the goal to \u2018liberate the UK\u2019s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti genetic modification rules\u2019 and \u2018develop blight-resistant crops\u2019 that will feed the world (Royal Society of Biology, 31.07.19<\/a>). Officials and food scientists have clarified the difference between gene editing, which involves the manipulation of genes within a single species or genus, and genetic modification (GM), in which DNA from one species is introduced to another. Since November last year, 236 news sources reported this distinction within the body of their coverage, first published by the UK Food Council.<\/a><\/p>\n

At the John Innes Centre in Norwich, specialists have taken huge steps towards this goal with the creation of the first gene-edited tomato. In this instance, the fruit was enhanced with Vitamin D, a nutrient that over 40% of Europeans are deficient in (Science Daily, 23.05.22<\/a>). Similar developments are being made in other British foods, such as anti-carcinogenic wheat and pigs immune to swine flu.
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\nVolume of Coverage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the last 12 months, 2,306 gene-editing focused articles have been produced by print, media and online news sources across the UK. National coverage has seen significant growth over the past eight weeks, peaking in the final week of May:<\/p>\n