Safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified microorganisms

Nutrition Division

Safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified microorganisms

Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Foods Derived from Biotechnology, WHO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 24 – 28 September 2001

Year of publication 2001

Pages 32 p.

Author Nutrition Division

Product type Document

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) A Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Foods Derived from Biotechnology – Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Microorganisms (GMMs) was held at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva from 24 – 28 September 2001. A total of 27 experts, including authors of discussion papers, participated in the Consultation. Ms Ann Kern, Executive Director, Cluster of Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments, opened the Consultation on behalf of Di rectors-General of WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Ms Kern stated that WHO and FAO have been organizing Consultations of this kind since 1990 to provide scientific and technical guidance to Member States and to the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Ms Kern also expressed the appreciation of the two Organizations to the Government of Japan for its generosity in supplying additional funding for this Consultation. She acknowledged the interest of Me mber States in these sometimes hotly debated issues, and the need for sound scientific advice developed and formulated by the Expert Consultations upon which Governments can base their discussions. Clear assessment and communication of scientific data is becoming increasingly important so that the scientific risk assessment process is accurately reflected in the risk management process. Ms Kern suggested that the issues of safety and nutritional assessment of foods derived from biote chnology would be even more important in the near future with the rapid development of new foods with potential benefits related to health.

Language English

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A joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Animals, including Fish was held at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome from 17 to 21 November 2003. The objective of this Consultation was to provide scientific advice to FAO/WHO and their Member Governments on the safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified animals, including fish (hereafter “GM animals”). The C onsultation focused on discussing what strategies are appropriate and applicable to the food safety assessment of GM animals. Additionally, it addressed specific issues originating from the production of GM animals as well as environmental and ethical issues. The Consultation did not address all environmental issues but focused on the connection between environmental entry of GM animals and food safety. The Consultation also addressed ethical considerations that relate directly to the scientific assessment of foods derived from GM animals.
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A joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals was held at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva from 26 February to 2 March 2007. The objective was to provide scientific advice to FAO/WHO and their Member States on two sets of questions regarding: i) marker and reporter genes; and ii) non-heritable applications. The Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology had specificall y requested advice on these questions. This Consultation built upon the conclusions and recommendations from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Animals, including Fish (FAO/WHO 2004). A variety of reporter and selectable marker genes are used extensively in plants and laboratory animals and are now being used in food animals. Few non-antibiotic resistance marker and reporter genes are currently used for producing recombinant- DNA animals intended for food and no studies are available on their food safety. It would be desirable to develop new selectable marker genes that do not confer antibiotic resistance.
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In order for Codex Alimentarius Members to share information on the results of Genetically Modified (GM) food safety assessments, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) maintains an online database entitled “FAO GM Foods Platform. After a number of Platform members globally requested FAO to host an interactive and face-to-face forum for the members to strengthen technical dialogues and discussions on the issues of their limited experience in conducting a GM food safety assessment and regulatory capacity, a global community meeting of the FAO GM Foods Platform was organized from 10 to 13 September 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. These are the technical presentations made during the global meeting by focal/alternative focal points to the Platform, invited experts and meeting organizers during the meeting.