BEIJING: China plans to approve the safety of more genetically modified (GMO) corn varieties produced by domestic companies, the agriculture ministry said late on Monday.

The move comes after Beijing last month proposed an overhaul of regulatory seed rules to pave the way for approval of GMO crops and as top policy makers urged progress in biotech breeding, seen as key to ensuring food security.

The three new corn products are produced by China National Tree Seed Corp and China Agricultural University, Hangzhou Ruifeng Biotech Co Ltd and Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co Ltd, the ministry said in a statement.

The plan to approve the new corn varieties, along with seven new GMO cotton products, will be open for public comment until Jan. 17, according to the notice posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Safety approval is seen as a major step towards commercialization of GMO crops, but it is still unclear when the new products will be ready for a market launch.

Beijing has so far not permitted the planting of GMO soybean or corn varieties, but it allows their import for use in animal feed. Both Hangzhou Ruifeng, in which Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co Ltd owns 41.8%, and Beijing Dabeinong already own GMO corn traits approved as safe by the government.