A decade of industry influence at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

As the European Food Safety Authority celebrates its 10th anniversary, a new report from Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Earth Open Source questions the independence of its advice. Conflicts on the menu: 

Genetically modified Roundup Ready soy has been planted over vast areas of North and South America. Most of the crop is used to feed Europe’s and North America’s livestock.

Inflated claims are made for the environmental sustainability of GM soy and the safety of the glyphosate herbicide it is engineered to tolerate.

The pesticide industry and EU regulators knew as long ago as the 1980s-1990s that Roundup, the world's best selling herbicide, causes birth defects – but they failed to inform the public.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is charged with giving scientific advice to the regulators of pesticides, genetically modified (GM) foods, and food contaminants and additives, in the interests of protecting public health. But some prominent EFSA experts and officials have conflicts of interest, holding positions in organisations funded by the same companies whose products they help regulate.