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Article: Storm brews as scientists create GM coffee beans.
- Article from:
- Daily Mail (London)
- Article date:
- May 17, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JAMES CHAPMAN
SCIENTISTS have created the world's first genetically modified coffee bean.
They have altered the genetic code of a coffee tree so that all its berries, which contain the bean, ripen at the same time when treated with a hormone.
The developers of the technology say it will allow plantation owners more control over harvesting. Coffee beans currently have to be picked by hand as they ripen over a three-month period.
But anti-GM campaigners warned last night that GM coffee posed unknown risks to human health and could threaten the livelihoods of 60million people worldwide who rely on the coffee crop.
It could be on supermarket shelves ...