Modified egg plant held off in India

NEW DELHI, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Indian government, responding to rising public outcry, has put off for now the introduction of genetically modified brinjal or egg plant in the country.

The government said the decision was taken due to an absence of consensus among scientists and because there is no "over-riding urgency" to approve the so-called BT Brinjal, a variety of egg plant developed after 10 years of research, the Indian Express reported.

The vegetable had earlier been approved by a technical committee.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called for more studies on the genetically modified vegetable to ensure consumer and environmental safety, the BBC reported.

"Public sentiment is negative. It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary, principle-based approach," Ramesh was quoted as saying.

Mahyco, a private Indian seed company in which the U.S. multinational Monsanto reported has a minority stake, developed the brinjal along with two Indian agricultural universities, the Indian Express reported.

Mahyco says the vegetable is pest-resistant but opponents claim it can cause health problems.

The decision to impose a moratorium "questions the validity of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which has a mandate to study and approve of all transgenic research in the country," the Economic Times quoted Sajiv Anand, director of the All India Crop Biotechnology Association, as saying.

But consumer activist Sangita Sharma welcomed the government warning it should not be a short one. "In countries like Switzerland, the period of study is as long as seven years," she told the Times.