Agriculture minister reaffirms safety of GM foods

The country has worked out statutes and procedures covering GM research, testing, production, processing, trade, import permits and compulsory identification, he said.

Its transgenic research and application began with non-food plants, such as cotton, then on plants whose products are used for processing and for animal feed, and finally on crops whose products are directly for food, he said.

The country has not approved GM rice planting on a commercial basis, and anyone who breaches the regulations on planting or trading GM crops or products will be severely dealt with, Han said.

The minister also said China's grain imports will unlikely surge, though it will turn to the global market for an "appropriate" amount of imports.

Grain imports have increased over the past years, but not significantly, Han said.

Last year, China imported 13 million tons of grain, but the amount accounted for only 2.4 percent of the country's total grain consumption, Han said, adding that even if the country wanted to import more, there wasn't enough available in the world market.

He said that China will rely on domestic production for food security, and its grain production will be reinforced by supportive policies, improved technology and infrastructure, particularly in irrigation and agricultural mechanization.

Food safety	GM foods make its way to China market