Fri 11 Nov 2002Professor says GM food benefits can be overstatedThe development of genetically modified foods has great potential, but the benefits are sometimes exaggerated. By the same token the presumed risks of the genetic technologies are also overstated by those opposed to their use.It was difficult to steer a middle ground through the difficult GM debate, according to Prof Peter Jones of the Department of Plant Science at University College Cork. "The problem is all the debate at the moment is polarised."