NEW DELHI, Even as genetically-modified mustard came a step closer to becoming the first food crop in India to be approved for commercial production after a panel of scientists said it poses no risk to humans, civil society organisations have demanded that the Centre put up the full bio-safety data — and not just the assessment report — on the crop in the public domain to make the feedback process meaningful and scientific.
The oilseed does not raise any public health or safety concerns on human beings and animals with respect to overall nutritional characteristics, the panel said in a document posted on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes website. It is highly unlikely to invade natural ecosystems and poses a negligible risk to biodiversity and agriculture productivity, it said. The oilseed has been developed by the University of Delhi since 2003.