PAUL O'BRIEN,
Sir, - If William Reville (Science, January 3rd) is looking for reasons for people's rejection of genetically modified food, here are a few: DDT, CFCs, thalidomide, nuclear energy. Each was endorsed by the science of its time, and each turned out to be a disaster.
As he points out, GM food is more acceptable in the United States than in Europe. This is, however, probably due to a generally lower level of consumer consciousness in the US - which may, however, be changing for the better. On a recent visit to Boston I was amazed at the proliferation of organic food in supermarkets.
I suspect it has to do with the fact that Boston, with its multitude of third-level colleges, is the intellectual capital of the United States. - Yours, etc.,
PAUL O'BRIEN,
Bertram Court,
Christchurch,
Dublin, 8.