UK public to have say on genome-edited farm animals

Consultation, run by BBSRC and bioethics group, comes as government tables legislation to relax regulations

The public will be asked for their views on genetic techniques for breeding farm animals following proposed legislation, announced in the Queen’s speech today, that would relax strict regulations on the use of such techniques.

Since leaving the EU, the UK government has said it would overhaul regulations for animals bred using genome editing—molecular techniques that allow researchers to make precise changes to the DNA of organisms. While there are no genome-edited animals sold as food in the UK, some other countries have taken a more relaxed approach.