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Despite the need to feed growing populations in Asia, controversy over genetically modified foods is putting a damper on efforts to develop and test new crops. The signs of opposition are scattered and vary from country to country. But they are enough to be worrisome to the region's leaders.
This paper presents results of a detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food from the shops of Moscow. The screening methods and event-specific assay based on the polymerase chain reaction is used. Transgenic DNA from genetically modified soybeans line 40-3-2 is detected in 17.2% samples of studied foods. Soybeans line 40-3-2 is allowed in Russian food supply.
The accuracy of a real-time polymerase-chain-reaction assay for genetically modified sources in food products was determined using two official test systems (kits) of primers and samples. These kits were recommended by the Federal Center of State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance (Russian Ministry of Health) and the European Commission. We used the following three models of thermocyclers: iCycler iQ (BioRad, United States), Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research, Australia), and DT-322 (DNA-Technology, Russia). Studies of samples that contained 1% genetically modified sources showed that the error of a quantitative assay for genetically modified sources in food products corresponds to 20-30% and does not depend on the kit type and the thermocycler model used.
The hypersensitivity of environmental chemicals and natural products has been reviewed. Among environmental chemicals, small molecular weight molecules work as hapten and cause immediate-type and delayed-type hypersensitivity. Among natural products, relatively lower molecular weight protein or glycoprotein (MW 10,000-70,000 kDa) work as allergen and cause mainly immediate-type hypersensitivity. In recent years, amino acid sequence of important natural allergens have been determined, and three-dimensional structure and IgE epitopes of some of these allergens have also been determined. The characteristics of both inhalation and food allergens have been summarized. As for food allergens, the stability of these proteins in simulated gastric fluid(SGF) was one of the most important characteristics. In the last parts, the approach to the assessment of allergenic potential of genetically modified foods has been summarized.
This paper provides guidance on how to assess the safety of foods derived from genetically modified crops (GM crops); it summarises conclusions and recommendations of Working Group 1 of the ENTRANSFOOD project. The paper provides an approach for adapting the test strategy to the characteristics of the modified crop and the introduced trait, and assessing potential unintended effects from the genetic modification. The proposed approach to safety assessment starts with the comparison of the new GM crop with a traditional counterpart that is generally accepted as safe based on a history of human food use (the concept of substantial equivalence). This case-focused approach ensures that foods derived from GM crops that have passed this extensive test-regime are as safe and nutritious as currently consumed plant-derived foods. The approach is suitable for current and future GM crops with more complex modifications. First, the paper reviews test methods developed for the risk assessment of chemicals, including food additives and pesticides, discussing which of these methods are suitable for the assessment of recombinant proteins and whole foods. Second, the paper presents a systematic approach to combine test methods for the safety assessment of foods derived from a specific GM crop. Third, the paper provides an overview on developments in this area that may prove of use in the safety assessment of GM crops, and recommendations for research priorities. It is concluded that the combination of existing test methods provides a sound test-regime to assess the safety of GM crops. Advances in our understanding of molecular biology, biochemistry, and nutrition may in future allow further improvement of test methods that will over time render the safety assessment of foods even more effective and informative.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the foods and animal feed samples in Guangzhou market. METHODS: The presence of GMO were investigated by PCR detection of camv 35S promoter and nos terminator, and the presence of RoundUp Ready Soybean (RRS), Bt176 Maximaizer or Mon810 YieldGard in GMO-positive samples were further determined by PCR detecting their specific DNA fragments respectively. RESULTS: One corn soup sample, two soybean samples, one potato fries sample as well as two animal feed samples were revealed to be GMO-positive in twenty-two food samples and three animal feed samples, and the presence of RRS in the GMO-positive soybean samples and the two positive animal feed samples were verified by PCR detection of a 129 bp RRS-specific DNA fragment, however, no Bt176 Maximaizer or Mon810 YieldGard specific PCR products were obtained with the GMO-positive corn soup and animal feed DNA samples used as PCR templates. CONCLUSION: Genetically modified organism presented in foods and animal feeds even though they were not been labelled.
The amount of land available for the coexistent growing of both organic and genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops depends on the separation distance between the two types of crop. The form of the decline in the proportion of land available for growing one of these crop types due to increasing separation distance is linear on a suitable scale, but with a slope and intercept that are sensitively dependent on the proportion of the other crop already present. Spatially explicit simulations from realistic scenarios indicate that a major increase in separation distances, currently under review by the UK government, may have serious implications for the future coexistence of organic and GMHT crops in the UK.
Biopharmaceuticals have been available for clinical use for nearly three decades, but foods derived from agribiotechnology have been available for just under a decade. Controversy surrounding foods from genetically modified (GM) plants has focused primarily upon their allergenicity, with lesser concerns about antibiotic resistance genes. Concerns are related to possible environmental impacts on non-human species, including effects on non-target species (e.g., butterflies) and on the development of so-called "super weeds." Food allergies are no more prevalent in foods from GM plants than in conventional foods. Further, the use of antibiotics in the development of GM plants does not pose a significant risk to the human population. Foods from the current GM plant products have been shown not to pose any detrimental effects to humans, and, in fact, nutritionally enhanced products are being developed. GM foods are subjected globally to intense regulatory scrutiny, and extensive data have been provided consistently to regulatory agencies in the United States on a voluntary basis, with mandatory reporting of data soon to be in force. Existing environmental concerns appear to be unjustified on the basis of existing data and experience.
Concerns about safety to the individual, the wider community and the potential impact on the environment are typical consequentialist objections to transgenesis that feature prominently in public debates about its ethical acceptability. I consider some of these claims with respect to their motivation, validity and their overall influence on public policy using three well-discussed applications of transgenesis: GM foods, xenotransplantation and germ line gene modification (GLGM).
Traceability is increasingly becoming standard across the agri-food industry, largely driven by recent food crises and the consequent demands for transparency within the food chain. This is leading to the development of a range of traceability concepts and technologies adapted to different industry needs. Experience with genetically modified plants has shown that traceability can play a role in increasing public confidence in biotechnology, and might similarly help allay concerns relating to the development of animal biotechnology. Traceability also forms an essential component of any risk management strategy and is a key requirement for post-marketing surveillance. Given the diversity of traceability concepts and technologies available, consideration needs to be given to the scope and precision of traceability systems for animal biotechnology. Experience to date has shown that conventional tagging and labelling systems can incorporate levels of error and may not have sufficient precision for biotech-derived animals. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology can overcome these difficulties by tracing animals and animal by-products through their DNA code rather than an associated label. This offers the possibility of tracing some by-products of animal biotechnology through the supply chain back to source animals, offering unprecedented levels of traceability. Developments in both DNA sampling and analysis technology are making large-scale applications of DNA traceability increasingly cost effective and feasible, and are likely to lead to a broader uptake of DNA traceability concepts.
In safety assessment of Novel Foods such as functional foods, allergy is a special issue on which particular emphasis has been placed. The reason for such concern is that incidence of food allergies is constantly and rapidly increasing. The severity of the reported incidents and the number of foods incriminated are also on the rise. The outstanding challenge is to understand what makes a common innocuous protein or peptide behave as an allergen for some groups of people, or why it may suddenly or progressively become a much more potent allergen than usual. It is therefore necessary to consider the risks of creating or unmasking new immunoreactive structures, or of overexposure to already reactive substances, as a result of new food-production and processing technologies. No test such as the use of animal models, the analysis of structure, function and physico-chemical properties is as yet available to evaluate or predict the allergenicity of a "novel" protein in a wholly reliable and objective manner. No indication has yet suggested that novel foods, and particularly recombinant proteins or genetically modified foods, would be more (or less) allergenic than the corresponding conventional foods. No particular structure can be described as being solely and intrinsically allergenic. The predictive approaches to determining the allergenic potential of NFs should therefore be subject to case-by-case critical appraisal allied to mandatory implementation of monitoring of the potential postmarketing impact of these new foodstuffs on public health.
More than 100 interviews conducted during 1997 with European food manufacturers and retailers, trade associations, government departments, consumer groups, environmental organizations and some individual academic scientists revealed how differences in the perceived attitudes of consumers gave rise to varying approaches by suppliers to the possible introduction of transgenic foods. European consumers generally are not against the pharmaceutical products of biotechnology but are much less willing to accept food and food ingredients, especially when derived from genetically modified plants. Objections are mainly based on fears for the health and safety of the consumer, worries about the possibility of deleterious effects on the environment, and a range of moral and ethical concerns often deriving from a distaste, however expressed, at the concept of interfering with nature. Consumer understanding of the science underlying biotechnology is patchy; in no country does more than a small proportion of the population claim a good grasp. Partly no doubt as a consequence of these attitudes, the introduction of genetically modified foods into Europe has occurred slowly and, during the period of this study, perhaps only in the Netherlands and the UK.
The recent advances in biotechnology in the plant industry have led to increasing crop production and yield that in turn has increased the usage of genetically modified (GM) food in the human food chain. The usage of GM foods for human consumption has raised a number of fundamental questions including the ability of GM foods to elicit potentially harmful immunological responses, including allergic hypersensitivity. To assess the safety of foods derived from GM plants including allergenic potential, the US FDA, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO), and the EU have developed approaches for evaluation assessment. One assessment approach that has been a very active area of research and debate is the development and usage of animal models to assess the potential allergenicity of GM foods. A number of specific animal models employing rodents, pigs, and dogs have been developed for allergenicity assessment. However, validation of these models is needed and consideration of the criteria for an appropriate animal model for the assessment of allergenicity in GM plants is required. We have recently employed a BALB/c mouse model to assess the potential allergenicity of GM plants. We have been able to demonstrate that this model is able to detect differences in antigenicity and identify aspects of protein post-translational modifications that can alter antigenicity. Furthermore, this model has also enabled us to examine the usage of GM plants as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergic diseases. This review discusses the current approaches to assess the allergenic potential of GM food and particularly focusing on the usage of animal models to determine the potential allergenicity of GM foods and gives an overview of our recent findings and implications of these studies.
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The applicability of quantifying genetically modified (GM) maize and soy to processed foods was investigated using heat treatment processing models. The detection methods were based on real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Ground seeds of insect resistant GM maize (MON810) and glyphosate tolerant Roundup Ready (RR) soy were dissolved in water and were heat treated by autoclaving for various time intervals. The calculated copy numbers of the recombinant and taxon specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences in the extracted DNA solution were found to decrease with time. This decrease was influenced by the PCR-amplified size. The conversion factor (Cf), which is the ratio of the recombinant DNA sequence to the taxon specific DNA sequence and is used as a constant number for calculating GM% at each event, tended to be stable when the sizes of PCR products of two DNA sequences were nearly equal. The results suggested that the size of the PCR product plays a key role in the quantification of GM organisms in processed foods. It is believed that the Cf of the endosperm (3n) is influenced by whether the GM originated from a paternal or maternal source. The embryos and endosperms were separated from the F1 generation seeds of five GM maize events, and their Cf values were measured. Both paternal and maternal GM events were identified. In these, the endosperm Cf was lower than that of the embryo, and the embryo Cf was lower than that of the endosperm. These results demonstrate the difficulties encountered in the determination of GM% in maize grains (F2 generation) and in processed foods from maize and soy.
This study explores the Chinese public's perceptions of, and attitudes to, agriculture and food applications of biotechnology; and investigates the effect of socio-demographic factors on attitudes. A questionnaire survey and interviews were used in an attempt to combine quantitative analysis with qualitative review. The main finding of this study is that the Chinese population has a superficial, optimistic attitude to agricultural biotechnology; and that, in accordance with public attitudes, a cautious policy, with obligatory labelling, should be adopted. The study reveals that education is the factor among socio-demographic variables with the strongest impact on public attitudes. Higher education leads to a more positive evaluation of GM (genetically modified) foods and applications of biotechnology with respect to usefulness, moral acceptability, and suitability for encouragement. In addition, public attitudinal differences depend significantly on area of residence. Compared with their more urban compatriots, members of the public in less developed areas of China have more optimistic attitudes, perceive more benefits, and are more risk tolerant in relation to GM foods and agricultural biotechnology. Finally we obtained a very high rate of "don't know" answers to our survey questions. This suggests that many people do not have settled attitudes, and correspondingly, that the overall public attitude to agricultural biotechnology and GM foods in China is at present somewhat unstable.
There is currently considerable investment in research aimed at producing transgenic farm animals with enhanced productive capacities. This article submits these prospective technologies to critical ethical evaluation. The analysis provided, focusing on issues relevant to public policy, suggests the need to introduce additional regulations governing the use of these technologies. Should their use be permitted in principle, specific legislation would seem to be required: (1) to protect the welfare of transgenic animals produced/kept in commercial enterprises; (2) to ensure the freedom of choice of purchasers of food and other products derived from transgenic animals by provision of adequate information on the source of the products; and (3) to provide a mechanism for limiting the use of transgenic technologies to those that are in the public interest.
The European Commission's, Quality of Life Research Programme, Key Action 1-Health, Food & Nutrition is mission-oriented and aims, amongst other things, at providing a healthy, safe and high-quality food supply leading to reinforced consumer confidence in the safety, of European food. Its objectives also include the enhancing of the competitiveness of the European food supply. Key Action 1 is currently supporting a number of different types of European collaborative projects in the area of risk analysis. The objectives of these projects range from the development and validation of prevention strategies including the reduction of consumers risks; development and validation of new modelling approaches, harmonization of risk assessment principles methodologies and terminology; standardization of methods and systems used for the safety evaluation of transgenic food; providing of tools for the evaluation of human viral contamination of shellfish and quality control; new methodologies for assessing the potential of unintended effects of genetically modified (genetically modified) foods; development of a risk assessment model for Cryptosporidium parvum related to the food and water industries, to the development of a communication platform for genetically modified organism, producers, retailers, regulatory authorities and consumer groups to improve safety assessment procedures, risk management strategies and risk communication; development and validation of new methods for safety testing of transgenic food; evaluation of the safety and efficacy of iron supplementation in pregnant women, evaluation of the potential cancer-preventing activity of pro- and pre-biotic ('synbiotic') combinations in human volunteers. An overview of these projects is presented here.