US: USDA officials promise quicker GM crop approvals

摘要

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to accelerating its approvals of genetically modified (GM) crops and aims to reduce the backlog of deregulation petitions under review from 16 to eight by next year, agency officials told House lawmakers earlier this month. But the department also remains concerned that an overly aggressive effort to quicken review timeframes could leave decisions vulnerable to legal challenges, according to the head of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).