GM Foods - where are we at?

There a piece of news today from the BBC discussing the debate about Genetically Modified foods.
The Environmental Audit Committee have released a report which will recommend major new field tests should be conducted before any GM crops are grown in the UK. This comes just days before the House of Commons was set to approve a type of GM maize for planting. This recomendation could delay GM planting for years to come, so is slightly embarassing for the government.

It will also fuel arguments by the anti-GM campaigners (including Greenpeace)that we don't really know all of the negative effects of GM crops upon both the environment and human health. Trials in October 2003 produced worrying results, because less weeds grew around GM crops, and there was therefore more activity from birds and bees. In addition, GM crops required the use of a virulently powerful pesticide called atrazine (which was recently banned by the EU), and the US has shown marked increases in the uses of pesticide in its rush to embrace GM foods.

To see the arguments both sides of the coin, go to the Official Public GM debate site. If you're unsure what GM is, or how food is genetically modified, you can understand more about the Science of GM here.