Are GE Foods Safe to eat?

Are GE Foods Safe to eat? Godwin LEMGO, Food Safety Program Officer, NEPAD-ABNE Biotechnology/Biosafety Sensitization Seminar, Gariba Lodge, Tamale, November 27 - 29, 2013

Yes…! • Any GE food that has gone through the proper internationally accepted assessment and approval process is considered safe for human and animal consumption!

Objectives • To answer two basic questions; • What are the food safety considerations of GE foods to human and animal health? • How is safety assured? • GE Food testing by applicants • Review of tests conduct by relevant authorities to ensure that these concerns are adequately addressed

Before we start.. What is food safety ..?

Food Safety “Food is considered safe if there is reasonable certaintythat no harm will result from its consumption under anticipated conditions. Historically, food prepared and used in traditional ways is considered safe on the basis of long term experience, even though it may naturally contain harmful substances. In principle, food is presumed to be safe unless a significant hazard has been identified.” (OECD)

…in other words • It is practically impossible for food to be absolutely free from ‘potentially harmful substances’ be it chemical, microorganisms, and/or physical substances that can be injurious to one’s health. • Rather, relevant authorities work to ensure that these are kept at levels that are not harmful to humans and animals when the food is prepared and consumed as intended.

Why the confidence about the safety of GE foods?

Food safety concerns So what are these concerns…?

Food Safety Concerns • Allergies ; • the novel protein may be a new allergen • there may be an unintended transfer of a known allergen into the GE food • the level of already existing allergens in foods may increase due to the modification process • Facts; • Only a small group of foods ‘the big eight’ are responsible for over 90% of the world’s allergies • Novel proteins are subjected to a series of testing to provide a weight of evidence that they are unlikely to cause allergies • These tests have proven effective so far

Food Safety Concerns • Food toxins • the novel protein may be a new toxin? • there may be an unintended transfer of a known toxins into the GE food • the level of already existing natural toxins in foods may increase due to the modification process • Facts; • GE foods are tested using standard toxicological tests • This involves feeding both the novel protein and the whole GE food to laboratory rats (in separate studies) and carefully examining for adverse effects

Food Safety Concerns • In the process of modifying the genes, levels already of existing toxins or allergens in previously safe foods could increase to make them unsafe • FACTS; • Since these toxins and allergens are already known, it is very easy to determine if there is indeed a change in their levels • A simple examination of the GE food composition is done to detect any elevated levels of these allergens or toxins of concern

Food Safety Concerns • Accidental changes in the nutrient levels of a previously nutritious food causing malnutrition in the population • FACTS; • It is unlikely that such a GE food would make it through to the level of commercialization • All major nutrients (including anti-nutrients) are measured and determined to be within normal ranges • The GE food is also fed to fast growing broilers to determine its nutritional potency

Food Safety Concerns • Potential transfer of antibiotic resistance marker genes to gut microorganisms • This could present a threat to the therapeutic use of antibiotics • FACTs; • Scientific evidence indicates that this is a highly unlikely possibility • This not withstanding, scientists are researching alternative marker systems for use in GE

Food Safety Concerns • GE Foods may present long term health effects e.g. Cancer • There has been perceptions that there may be long term health effect associated with the consumption of GE foods • Recently, a report was published to the effect that GE maize can cause cancer in Rats

Food Safety Concerns GE Foods may present long term health effects e.g. Cancer • FACTS; • This report was critically reviewed by independent experts, scientific research institutions and state (and international) regulatory bodies and was widely dismissed due mainly to fundamental but critical flaws in the way the study was designed • Twelve (12) long-term studies (of more than 90 days, up to 2 years in duration) and Twelve (12) multigenerational studies (from 2 to 5 generations) have been conducted and reviewed • None of these found an adverse long term health effects • EU commission funded 130 projects involving 500 independent research groups over 25 years; none found adverse health effects

…are these concerns genuine? • Until scientifically proven otherwise, each of these concerns should be (and are) treated as viable potential threats and are subjected to rigorous safety testing and evaluation

..lets keep in mind • Food safety concerns can be real or perceived (or sometimes just a myth) • When concerns are based on perceptions, they are difficult to address

Approach to safety assessment

…two prong approach! Government regulators review and approve Applicants generate and submit necessary data to demonstrate safety

Food Safety Assessment: the comparative approach

First Step – Compare the GE food to a non-GE counterpart GE Trait (e.g. Bt Protein) GE Food Non-GE Food

Next step – Scrutinize the ‘blue dot’

Goal of Safety Assessment • Absolute safety is not an achievable goal; better to establish a reasonable certainty of no harm under conditions of use (FAO/WHO) • End point of assessment process is to conclude that GM food is as safe as its conventional counterpart

Concluding thoughts • FAO – WHO : “ The use of these techniques [modern biotechnology] does not result in food which is inherently less safe than that produced by conventional ones” • EU Commission funded research: “There is, as of today, no scientific evidence associating GMOs with higher risks for the environment or for food and feed safety than conventional plants and organisms.”

www.nepadbiosafety.net Any Questions?? Thank you

Are GE Foods Safe to eat?