Supermarket shoppers in England will be able to buy food produced with gene-edited ingredients from next year, the UK's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary predicted. The government is expected to present next week an innovative bill that will pave the way for crops to be produced using precision gene editing techniques to make them naturally more resistant and in less need of pesticides.

Speaking exclusively to i News, George Eustice said the genetic technology (precision reproduction) bill will be passed this year, which could allow the first gene-edited foods to be available by 2023. Eustice said some products that are already available in other parts of the world may be subject to review for marketing authorisation in England soon after the legislation is passed. Although regulations are limited to England, the product is likely to be available throughout the UK.

"As soon as this bill gets the actual approval, which is likely to be at some point this year, we will have a regime in place that will allow us to issue a marketing authorization for any gene-edited seed that results from this process," he said. "There will probably be some of these crops that are already available and improved in other parts of the world. So we can have some of these cultures that have benefited from gene editing technologies ready for launched over the next year," he adds.

Source: Agrolink