Letting the GM genie out of the bottle

Although genetically modified foods have been grown and sold in China for some time, the term still makes the public jittery.

Debates on genetic modification range from safety concerns, environmental impact, food security, ethics to politics. When all these issues come into play, discussions on GM become complicated.

When Chinese consumers surf the Internet for information on oil made from imported GM soybeans - the most common GM product on the Chinese market - it's likely they will become confused.

Most of Chinese blogs on GM foods are not that balanced. They contain either vehement attacks or lavish, uncritical support, and scientists say that these polarizing arguments are misleading the public.

"Americans never eat GM crops because of health issues, why should we Chinese fall into the trap?" one post reads.

Another report conflated two pieces of unrelated news: "Guangxi grows GM corn" and "seminal abnormality found among college students in Guangxi," implying a causal relationship.