In response to requests from French researcher Gilles-Eric Seralini, author of a controversial study of the effects of genetically modified food on rats, European food safety watchdog EFSA has released all information held on the GM maize studied by Seralini's team.

In September, Seralini and his team released a study in which they linked consumption of Monsanto's NK603 maize to development of tumours in rats. However, the study was immediately pounced upon by scientists who attempted to discredit its findings. At the behest of the European Commission, the EFSA and health agencies of a number of EU states examined the results, with EFSA eventually concluding they were "inadmissible as evidence" of such a link in November 2012.

However, France's ANSES called for more publicly funded research into the long-term effects of consuming GM food, where the agency identified a lack of public research and limited transparency. In the wake of the EFSA review, a group of prominent scientists accused the Authority of hypocrisy in an open letter over the haste with which they dismissed Seralini's results (the study was provisionally discredited in an EFSA publication just weeks after its release), whilst not displaying the same rigorous approach to information supplied by industry.

On Monday (14th January), EFSA announced it would be releasing the data on NK603, as requested by Professor Seralini, stating its aim in so-doing is "to facilitate access to data, enhancing transparency in risk assessment." EFSA said it has a policy of openness and the release is in line with recommendations made following an "independent evaluation" of the Authority.

The data includes information provided to inform EFSA's risk assessment of NK603, which is sanctioned for import into the EU, though it cannot be grown in the bloc.  EFSA said, "Any member of the public or scientific community will now be able to examine and utilise the full data sets used in this risk assessment."

EFSA Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle said, "Risk assessment is an evolving science and EFSA is always willing to review its past work should new robust science bring a new perspective to any of the Authority’s previous findings." She added, "Today's initiative… will make the conclusions of risk assessments even stronger when ensuring public health protection and further build confidence in EFSA’s work."

The data is available from the EFSA website