India approves genetically modified mustard

India has granted environmental clearance to natively grown genetically modified (GM) mustard seeds, experts said last Thursday, paving the way for commercial use of its first crop of genetically modified foods. The world's largest importer of edible oils, on which it spends tens of billions of dollars a year, India meets more than 70% of its demand from Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and Ukraine. "I can call this a historic milestone," said Deepak Pental, a geneticist and former vice chancellor at the University of Delhi, who developed the seeds along with his team in a more than decade-long effort. Commercial use of GM mustard seeds would take a few years, however, he added. In a statement, the government confirmed the highest level of clearance so far for the crop of transgenic mustard, also known as rapeseed. India is simplifying regulations for developing genome-edited plants, the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Thursday, calling the technology ...