a gm ‘super spud’ claimed by scientists to be healthier to eat, cheaper to grow and better for the environment could be field tested in britain next year but plans for the trials were condemned last night by critics who argue that genetically modifying crops to create ‘frankenfoods’ could threaten natural ecosystems and human health scientists at the publicly funded sainsbury laboratory in norwich are hoping to develop the potato using eight genes from other varieties scientists claim to have be close to engineering a gm ‘super spud’ which is healthier to eat, cheaper to grow and better for the environment a stock image of non gm potatoes is pictured  they claim this will reduce the risk of potentially harmful acrylamide chemicals forming when potatoes are fried – a problem that has been linked to cancer the added genes will also protect against potato blight, which costs uk farmers £60million a year in losses and use of fungicides, and nematode worms professor jonathan jones, who is leading the project and is already in negotiations with the us firm simplot to commercialise the potato, said gm technology is the only way to achieve such results but field trials, which the scientists hope to begin in 12 months’ time, will first have to be approved under tough eu regulations and are likely to attract protesters, requiring them to be conducted behind high fences anti gm groups said last night the project was a waste of taxpayers’ money and even if the scientists’ claims were proven, consumers would never want to buy the resulting food critics say that tampering with the genes in crops to create ‘frankenstein foods’ could damage natural ecosystems a stock image of a protester is shown  professor jones and his team have previously developed a potato which, after three years of trials, was shown to ward off blight and increase yields they sold the results of that research to simplot and are looking to develop the idea by introducing further genes peter melchett, of the soil association, said: ‘a previous gm potato, launched in 2009, was claimed to be the answer to the blight disease common in the uk potato crop ‘now we’re told that won’t work, and a gm potato needs up to eight different gm characteristics to be useful ‘as with other gm research, this is a complete waste of time, money and scientific expertise’ liz o’neill, of the campaign group gm freeze, said: ‘blight is very good at evolving – this might just force a faster evolution of the disease’ although there have been field trials in the past, no gm food has ever been commercially grown in britain because of european regulations that make it difficult to get licences it means that although british researchers are leading the way in developing gm technology, the end results are usually snapped up by foreign firms professor jones said gm ‘has been shown to be safe’, and before the potato could be sold, it would need extensive testing and authorisation from eu bodies such as the european food safety authority he added: ‘some people have concerns about us partnering with industry, but as research scientists we… need commercial partners if the public are to gain the benefits of our research’ professor jonathan jones, who is leading the project said the new potato ‘aims to be better for the environment, reduce production costs, reduce waste and also be healthier’ he hopes to conduct field trials in just 12 months time a stock image of a field of potatoes is shown  suspicious research: professor gilles eric seralini, who authored a study claiming gm gives you cancer, is backed by a homeopathy group  the myth: food that has been genetically modified may be harmful to humans and that doesn’t include many more made with milk or meat from animals given gm feed there has yet to be one case of any ill effect the myth: trials show gm feed may cause cancer or stomach problems in animals the truth:  the author behind the ‘bogus’ research fuelling this claim, prof  gilles eric seralini, is closely linked to and funded  by leading  members of a homeopathy group which believes bone cancer can be cured  with water and minute quantities of magnesium the research has been attacked by every major scientific institution in the field, including the european food standards agency the myth: gm strains will cross pollinate and so ‘contaminate’ other crops and  man will have irrecoverably interfered with the stuff of life others like potatoes are cultivated  via tubers, so pollen is not an issue for them either as for rice, it’s  also mostly self pollinating the myth: organic food is safer the truth:  the food standards agency says there’s no evidence – and furthermore,  germs from manure create risks of their own: an e coli outbreak in  organic beansprouts in germany killed 50 people in 2011 and last month  in the us 100 people contracted the serious liver disease hepatitis a  from organic berry yohurt the myth: gm will lead to a stranglehold by multinationals like monsanto the truth: many gm crops have been developed by universities and are not patented the full cost of developing golden  rice, which will remedy the vitamin a deficiency which kills and blinds  millions of children per year, is being met by the charitable project  behind it
british gm norwich first 12 months’ time
british team has agreed government funding to develop a gm potato . it will have beneficial genes from other varieties to make the perfect crop . super potato 'aims to be better for the environment, reduce production costs, reduce waste and also be healthier,' researcher says . norwich based team hopes to conduct first field trials in 12 months’ time . critics say taxpayer shouldn't be funding development of 'frankenfoods'