In a rare display of confidence in the country's management of genetically modified food, China's top agriculture official said he eats GM food.

"I now also eat food processed from GM raw materials, specifically soybean oil, because it's mainly made from imported soybeans, most of which are genetically modified," Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said while answering a China Daily question on the sidelines of the annual legislative session on Thursday.

The video clip and news report of the minister's remark went viral on the Internet on Thursday afternoon, a signal that the safety of GM food is a big public concern.