GM Foods: The Debate Returns

There was an interesting piece in the Observer this weekend about how the GM foods debate seems to have been re-ignited by signs that the UK Government is beginning to push a pro-GM agenda. I consider myself very lucky to live in the UK where we have good information about the content and origins of most of our foods, and good organic food is readily available and (mostly) affordable. In the US you could be (and probably are) eating GM soya or corn much of the time and not realise it. Whilst I'm not against GM on principle, I do think that for all the complex ins and outs of Jay Rayner's Observer piece, the situation is quite simple. There is little or no agreement about the science, so surely it's far too early for us to be introducing GM foods en masse into the world's food supply?

Imagine an alternative scenario: say scientists couldn't agree on whether or not a particular chemical is harmful or beneficial to human health. Would anyone seriously suggest we add it to the water supply? Surely the only reasonable reaction to such a proposal would be this: let's do some more tests and experiments first, until we've secured at least a broad consensus on the matter, and then have the debate...

Perhaps I'm missing something?