WOULD you let your children tuck into a plate full of genetically modified food?

Tony Blair would and Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson says we should welcome scientific discoveries, Geraldine Smith has an "open mind" but despite repeated assurances there's mounting public pressure to impose a ban on "Frankenstein" foods.

Environmentalist have called on the local authorities to ban GM foods for use in schools claiming that children should be kept out of genetic experiments.

Speaking on behalf of Lancaster Green Party, Prof John Whitelegg said: "If GM food is not good enough for the House of Commons restaurant then its not good enough for local schools. Throughout history any experiments with new foods have been done on a small scale. This has meant that mistakes have affected only a small number of people. Food technology is now evolving outside the natural limits and it is an experiment being conducted on a global scale. We hope the county council will keep our children out of that experiment."

More than 15 local authorities around the country have already banned GM foods from their schools and in 1998 the House of Commons banned GM foods from its canteens and restaurants.

Hilton Dawson said that there were GM products already in the foodchain which had passed the most stringent safety tests.

He said: "There is a real level of public concern but there are important scientific discoveries to be made here and we shouldn't start running round like headless chickens. I think the greens are just scaremongering."

Geraldine Smith said: "Like many people I'm concerned about scientists tampering with our food but I wouldn't like to over react. I've got an open mind and believe that we need a full and frank debate."

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