By Graham Tibbetts

A genetically modified soya bean that could help prevent heart attacks
should be available within four years following successful trials.
The crop has passed the first phase of testing in America which could lead
to it being used in spreads, yogurts, cereal bars and salad dressings.

If approved for general consumption it would be the first GM food with
direct benefits for human health.

The technology has so far been used to develop crops that have increased
yields, are resistant to pests and disease or are able to thrive in harsh
conditions.

Researchers at the Univeristy of South Dakota have found that the bean can
increase levels of omega-3 acids in the blood.

These acids, mainly found in salmon, trout and fresh tuna, protect against
cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and assist the growth of brain cells in
the young. The Food Standards Agency in Britain recommends eating a portion
of oily fish a week.

But there are concerns that encouraging fish consumption could spell
disaster for marine stocks, placing even greater importance on the soya bean
research.

Monsanto, the biotechnology company, has harvested 600 tons of the crop from
trial plots this year, passing some on to food companies for development.

It expects the US Food and Drug Administration to approve it for consumption
by 2011, allowing it to reach US supermarkets the following year.

If European and British authorities also permitted its use then soya bean
products containing omega-3 oil could also be exported to Britain.

The food would be clearly labelled as GM, said David Stark, Monsanto's vice
president for consumer traits.

"Consumers will have a choice: some may choose not to try it, but others
will," he said.

"It's another reason for consumers to pause and consider whether GM has a
role to play. I think it does, not only for how we deliver food for the
planet, but also for how we protect our own health. We've shown for years
that GM crops can control pests. That's important to consumers, but not in a
personal way. Hopefully this will be personal enough to make a difference."

No GM crops are currently under commercial cultivation in Britain.

The trials in South Dakota, led by William Harris, professor of medicine,
involved 33 volunteers.

The research, published in the journal Lipids, indicated that oil from GM
soya increased omega-3 in the participants' blood from an average of 4 per
cent to 5 per cent. This could lead to a 50 per cent drop in the risk of
heart attacks, said Prof Harris.

"We saw these effects in our subjects after just a few weeks. I can imagine
that, if you got this into the food supply and people were eating it year
after year, you do have an opportunity to raise omega3 levels in the blood,"
he said.

A larger study is now being carried out and is due to finish next month.
www.checkbiotech.org