The European Commission has approved an application by US biotech giant Monsanto to market a type of genetically modified corn and has recommended that the EU’s member states follow suit.
The Commission said the corn, known as NK603, has “undergone a thorough safety assessment for any adverse impact on public health,” reported Dow Jones International News. The Commission added that the appropriate steps have been taken to allow labelling and traceability of the product.
Governments of member states now have three months to decide on whether or not to approve the corn, which has been engineered to resist Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.
The application refers to the use of the corn in food products, rather than the cultivation of the corn on EU soil.
