THE contrast could hardly be starker. Two years ago, when biochemist Arpad
Pusztai claimed on British television that genetically modified potatoes harmed
rats, all hell broke loose. The reaction across the country was little short of
hysterical.
Then, last month, American consumers learned that they might have eaten taco
shells containing genetically modified maize that had not been approved for
human consumption. Did they boycott Mexican food? Did they picket supermarkets?
No. While a few green pressure groups tried to turn the drama into a crisis,
indifference ruled from coast to coast.
These events reveal the transatlantic gulf in attitudes…
