Blair criticised over food safety

Tony Blair is losing the battle to reassure voters about British produce,according to a new poll which reveals that three-quarters of the nation no longer trusts the government on the crucial issue of food safety, British newspaper, The Guardian reports. Vast public opposition to GM foods and anxiety about the foot and mouth crisis, has led 72 per cent of the public - and 57 per cent of Labour voters - to disregard ministers' words, the ICM research​ suggests. The research, published in the Ecologist​ magazine, conducted three and a half weeks ago as the foot and mouth epidemic escalated dramatically, also reveals the public are sceptical of the prime minister's claims to be "green". Two-thirds think there should be more emphasis on organic research - rather than GM foods, which gain 13 times as much government funding - and almost half (45 per cent) believe there should be a ban on importing and testing GM crops in Britain. A Labour party spokesman said: "We don't comment on polls but, as the prime minister's recent speech [to the [WWF] shows, he is fully committed to environmental protection and environmental policies."​ Source: The Guardian