Till present it is not
established whether it is risky for a human organism to consume products
containing genetically modified organisms (GMO).
The head of the GMO
detection and biosecurity laboratory of Ukraine’s Institute of genetic engendering
Borys Sorochinsky said at the press conference in IMC media-hall.
“Those modified organisms
allowed for commercial use were created to carry out certain functions, like
fighting against plant pests or resisting certain herbicides. We use modified
soy, corn, cotton. We drink beer made of modified yeasts. GMO is our reality,
but we should remember that GMO includes very long list of organisms with
various peculiarities and potential risks,” the scientist noted.
Commenting on the GMO
situation in Ukraine, he said that the problem of GMO
introduction in Ukraine is of social and economic
character.
“The global market is under
division now. It is enormous money. Ukraine must decide what it is – a consumer
of someone’s achievements or a producer of its own production. Unfortunately,
the matter now concerns not the risks for human health, but possible social and
economic risks,” he added.
Sorochinsky expressed an
opinion that Ukraine should not turn into a source of
raw materials for foreign bioengineering companies.
“If we open this market we
must carry out active and aggressive policy to protect our interests by means
of creating our kinds of plants and using our scientists. But first of all we
must conduct an economic and social analysis to find out whether the society
accepts this and whether it is profitable for Ukraine’s economy,” he summed up.
