Public opinion on GM soybean

China has suspended the import approval process for a genetically modified (GM) soybean variety, citing "low public acceptance" of GM food, Reuters reported on Friday citing two people familiar with the matter.

It is the first time that China's Ministry of Agriculture has cited public opinion as a reason for delaying approval of a GM crop, the sources said.

A GM corn variety grown in the US, Syngenta's MIR162, has not been approved for import by China since November 2013.