[File photo]

Hundreds of volunteers across China have participated in tastings of genetically modified (GM) foodstuffs in an attempt to support the country’s GM food industry.

Held in 24 cities nationwide, over 500 volunteers were invited to the tastings to try GM foodstuffs including rice and fish. Most cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou, scheduled the tastings on Nov. 5. Similar events will soon kick off in additional cities, Thepaper.cn reported.

The tastings come on the heels of an announcement by Cui Yongyuan, a well-known former CCTV host, that Cui would open a non-GM food company on Nov. 4. As a diehard opponent of GM food, Cui said his company would provide non-GM food to 30,000 people across three cities.

“Over 70 volunteers took part in the tasting held in Beijing. We consumed over 5 kilograms of GM rice, in addition to tasting other types of GM food. Many volunteers brought their kids to the event, hoping to educate them,” a Beijing-based organizer told Thepaper.cn in an interview.

But not everyone is so optimistic about GM foods in China. The safety of GM food is hotly debated across traditional and online media, with the public expressing grave concerns over the safety of GM foodstuffs. Despite the fact that GM food has been part of the commercial landscape of China for nearly two decades, there is still no consensus on whether or not GM food is harmful to humans.

In 2013, a debate about GM food between Cui and Fang Zhouzi, an expert in chemical biology and a famous anti-fraud activist, escalated into a fierce online discussion. Cui, who spent 500,000 RMB out of his own pocket to investigate the attitude of the American public and scholars toward GM food, claimed that GM technologies remain controversial even in the U.S., and should not be promoted. Fang, on the other hand, denounced Cui’s claim, stressing that the public should not fear GM food.

“Some online rumors have misled the public, causing many people to reject the fact that GM foodstuffs have been proven safe by science. We hope the tastings will encourage more people to support the GM industry, and also serve to assuage public concerns about GM food,” a Shanghai-based tasting volunteer said.