British scientists seek go-ahead for GM ‘Omega-3’ crop trial

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – British scientists have applied for permission to run an open-air field trial of a genetically modified (GM) crop they hope may one day become a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of healthy Omega-3 fats. The proposed trial – likely to generate controversy in a nation where GM foods have little public support – could start as early as May and will use Camelina plants engineered to produce seeds high in Omega-3 long chain fatty acids. No GM crops are currently grown commercially in Britain and only two – a pest-resistant type of maize and a potato with enhanced starch content – are licensed for cultivation in the European Union (EU). But scientists at Britain’s agricultural lab Rothamsted Research have developed Camelina plants to produce Omega-3 fats that are known to be beneficial to health but normally found only in oils in increasingly limited fish stocks.