CONSULTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

WHO/SDE/PHE/FOS/00.6
Original: English
Distr.: Genera

Safety aspects of genetically modified foods of plant origin
Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Foods Derived from Biotechnology

WHO, Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
29 May - 2 June 2000

Issued by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations


FOOD SAFETY PROGRAMME

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
 
Table of Contents

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http://www.who.int/fsf

Copies may be requested from:
World Health Organization
Food Safety Programme
CH-1211 Geneva 27

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© World Health Organization, 2000

This document is not a formal publication of the World Health Organization (WHO), and all rights are reserved by the Organization. The document may, however, be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced and translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale nor for use in conjunction with commercial purposes.

The views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors.


CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. Scope

4. Approaches to the Nutritional and Food Safety Evaluation of Genetically Modified Foods

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Safety Assessment
4.3 Unintended Effects
4.4 Evaluation of the Concept of Substantial Equivalence

5. Nutrition-Related Issues

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Unexpected Outcomes: Targeting a Single Nutrient can Result in Other Alterations
5.3 Methodology for Nutritional and Safety Evaluation

6. Specific Food Safety Issues

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Gene Transfer from Genetically Modified Plants: Mechanisms and Consequences for Food Safety
6.3 Allergenicity

7. Conclusions

8. Recommendations

9. References

Annex 1: List of Participants

Annex 2: List of Documents

Annex 3: Reply to the Questions from the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force