The growth and sale of gene-edited food have now been legalised in England after the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act passed into UK law on March 23. According to the government, the new law allows farmers to “grow crops which are drought and disease resistant, reduce use of fertilisers and pesticides, and help breed animals…

The British government says its plan to legalise gene-editing in animals and plants for food is following the science and will help ensure food security. But critics say profits are driving what they call “frankenscience” and warn consumer confidence could be hit. The new Genetic Technology Bill, the government says, will allow the creation of…