Fear & loathing at The Lancet

It's no surprise when card-carrying anti-biotech organizations such as Greenpeace try to inflame consumer fears about the perceived risks of foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, it is quite another thing to have a respected medical journal such as The Lancet publish an editorial, as it did on May 29, accusing the government, biotech companies and scientists alike of inadequately assessing the human health risks associated with GM foods.

The editorial first took a gratuitous swipe at agbio companies, stating that "in view of this unbridled commercial approach to genetic modification, it is perhaps not surprising that companies have paid little evident attention to the potential hazards to health of genetically modified foods."...