The chairman of the government's new Food Standards Agency has told the BBC he believes gentically-modified food on sale in the UK is safe, but denied his views will affect his role.

Professor Sir John Krebs told BBC 2's Newsnight programme on Wednesday that he felt the safety of GM products should be a matter of consumer choice.

But he said he accepted that the corn and soya already on the market in the UK "are as safe as their non-GM counterparts".

He denied his personal beliefs would create difficulties in his new role as the head of the body charged with restoring public confidence in food safety.

Among its proposed powers will be the responsibility for monitoring the safety and standards of all food for human consumption.

It is also expect to lead or share policy on food poisoning organisms, animal feed, food hygiene, genetically-modified food and other novel processes.

Sir John told the BBC: "I'm the chairman, but there is a board, and these are not necessarily the views of the board.

"The board is going to work on the basis of scientific evidence, on the basis of other kinds of input, to come to a balanced judgement.

"Once I'm chairman of the agency, I'll be telling you what the agency's view is, which may be different from mine."

Consumer groups have expressed concern that Sir John's lack of experience in consumer affairs and food policy could hinder the agency's effectiveness in standing up for the public.

But Sir John, a Royal Society research professor at Oxford University, said his lack of experience would make it easier for him to introduce the fresh approach that the agency would seek to provide.

"What I have as an advantage is that I come with no baggage. I am not from the food industry," he said.

"I don't have a background in nutrition or consumer affairs.

"But what I do have is a background is in science, in evaluation of scientific evidence, an important part of the agency's work, and in the communication of science."

Sir John acknowledged that the agency, which will start operations in April, would face an uphill task as public confidence was at "a low ebb" in the aftermath of the BSE crisis and e-coli outbreaks.

New era

But he insisted that the agency was "the beginning of a new era for the consumer."

"For the first time you have got an agency that is going to be put the consumer first, that is going to be completely open in its operation and is at arm's length from government," said Sir John.

Sir John's fellow board members include deputy chair Suzi Leather, a consumer health expert and the chief executive will be Geoffrey Podger, head of the food safety group at the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said the team would bring "a sound understanding" of the issues.

"Sir John's reputation as a distinguished scientist will be invaluable in the task of restoring public confidence in food safety which has been hit in recent years, most notably by BSE," he said.