LANCASTER'S MP Hilton Dawson has written to the Food Safety Minister Jeff Rooker to express the concerns of local people about GM food following a special consultation meeting.

The MP said local people were worried that commercial pressures were pushing us too quickly towards the wider use of GM foods before all possible risks had been identified. He said: "People consider that Government should really learn the lessons of BSE and they are sceptical about the role of multi-national chemical companies and are concerned that Government testing and regulation will not be effective enough."

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