On July 27, 2004, the National Academies of Science (NAS) National Research Council and Institute of Medicine issued a new report on food biotechnology, “Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Report concluded that attempts to assess food safety solely on the basis of the method of breeding are “scientifically unjustified.”
The Committee that wrote the report distinguished that “genetic modification” describes a broad array of breeding techniques—from traditional cross-breeding to genetic engineering and the use of chemicals or radiation—used to improve plant and animal traits. “Genetic engineering” refers specifically to the use of molecular biology techniques to delete genes or to transfer genes for particular qualities from one species to another.
Adverse health effects from genetic engineering have not been documented. The report recommends that all foods produced through biotechnology be assessed for compositional changes that could influence safety. Greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances. Examples would include the detection and subsequent evaluation of an unknown substance for allergenicity or toxicity, or assessing the potential impact on diets and health from foods with increased or decreased nutrient levels. Even when differences in composition are noted, more research is needed to understand the potential biological significance of these changes.
In some cases, evaluation should continue after products are on the market, although post-market surveillance should not be used as a substitute for the safety assurance required before commercialization.
