A genetically modified crop designed to produce healthy oil is to be planted in Hertfordshire next month in the first British field trials of a GM plant that could have direct health benefits.
Rothamsted Research, an agricultural research institute, has modified camelina — commonly known as false flax — to produce omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in its seeds. It says that the crop could help to give a sustainable supply of a substance that aids the prevention of heart disease and could delay the onset of dementia.
The modified seeds were shown in preliminary trials to contain similar concentrations of omega-3 to those in cod liver oil. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday approved a four-year publicly funded trial on the Rothamsted