NZ food safety is lacking, says council

A lobby group on genetically modified food has accused the Food Safety Authority of "shopping" for advice when a report it commissioned queried the safety of a variety of GM corn.

The Sustainability Council is calling for changes to the food safety system after its investigation of advice commissioned by the authority from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).

Council executive director Simon Terry said an ESR report written in April last year, after a French study found signs of organ toxicity in rats fed the "MON863" corn, said there were toxicological concerns over the corn which could not be refuted without further study.

But last October, ESR sent a letter to the authority saying the French study "does not provide a sound scientific justification for questioning the safety of MON863".

Mr Terry said this showed the authority "shopped" for alternative advice after the report questioned the corn's safety.

He said the council's investigations of this and another GM corn variety showed the food regulatory system had "zero credibility".

The authority's policy director, Carole Inkster, denied it shopped around for advice.

She said ESR had withdrawn the report and replaced it with the October letter.

But ESR's general manager of business development and marketing, David Talbot, said the report had not been withdrawn.

"ESR stands by both reports even though they have divergent scientific opinions. We consider it healthy to ensure scientific debate in this area."

A spokeswoman for the Food Safety Minister said Lianne Dalziel had complete confidence in the authority but could not comment in detail at the time.