Unintended Effects in Genetically Modified Food/Feed Safety: A Way Forward

Criteria for risk assessment of plants produced by targeted mutagenesis, cisgenesis and intragenesis

EFSA was asked by the european Commission to develop criteria as advice for consideration for the risk assessment of plants produced by targeted mutagenesis, cisgenesis and intragenesis. EFSA proposes in this statement six main criteria to assist the risk assessment of these plants. The first four criteria are related to the molecular characterisation of the genetic modification introduced in the recipient plant. The four criteria evaluate whether any exogenous DNA sequence(s) is/are present (Criterion 1), whether such sequence derives from the breeders' gene pool (Criterion 2), the type of integration (Criterion 3) and whether any endogenous plant gene is interrupted (Criterion 4). Depending on the evaluation of the above criteria, the product can be a genome edited plant where no exogenous DNA sequence is present, or a cisgenic or intragenic plant where the cisgenic and intragenic sequence are introduced by targeted insertion and no plant endogenous genes are interrupted. In these cases, two more criteria are assessed to evaluate the history of safe use (Criterion 5) and the structure and function of the new allele (Criterion 6). If cisgenic and intragenic sequence are introduced by random integration without interruption of an endogenous gene, or when no risk is identified when an endogenous gene is interrupted, the criteria 5 and 6 will also be assessed. Evaluating the history of safe use is an important part of the proportionate risk assessment of cisgenic, intragenic and genome-edited plants since the newly introduced allele may already be present in nature. However, when the history of safe use cannot be sufficiently demonstrated, the function and structure of the introduced allele should be carefully assessed. Recommendations are also included on the aspects that need further elaboration for full applicability of the criteria proposed herein are also included.

Myths and Realities about Genetically Modified Food: A Risk-Benefit Analysis

The development and consumption of genetically modified (GM) crops are surrounded by controversy. According to proponents, only molecular biology approaches and genetic engineering tools are realistic food shortage solutions for the world’s ever-growing population. The main purpose of this study is to review the impact of GM products on human, animal, and environmental health. People still reject GM crops not only because of safety concerns, but also for moral reasons. Toxicity, allergies, and possible horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to the environment or to other species have been associated with the marketing of GM products. Moreover, the scarce data available about the long-term implications of using GM crops is another opponent concern. Nevertheless, science has evidenced no harm from GM crops use to date but has, instead, reported several benefits that result from their commercialization, such as economic, environmental, and health benefits for the general public. Legislation and policies about GM product labeling standards are being discussed. To overcome emerging food security challenges, considering quality scientific information is essential rather than leaving the issue and merely moving toward moral discussion. Hence, a risk–benefit analysis is necessary.

Native and non-native host assessment towards metabolic pathway reconstructions of plant natural products

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Plant metabolic networks are highly complex.

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Engineering the phytochemical pathways fully in heterologous hosts is challenging.

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Single plant cells with amplified multiple fission enable homogeneity.

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Homogeneity and high cell division rate can facilitate stable product scale-up.

Plant-based biopreparations are reasonably priced and are devoid of viral, prion and endotoxin contaminants. However, synthesizing these natural plant products by chemical methods is quite expensive. The structural complexity of plant-derived natural products poses a challenge for chemical synthesis at a commercial scale. Failure of commercial-scale synthesis is the chief reason why metabolic reconstructions in heterologous hosts are inevitable. This review discusses plant metabolite pathway reconstructions experimented in various heterologous hosts, and the inherent challenges involved. Plants as native hosts possess enhanced post-translational modification ability, along with rigorous gene edits, unlike microbes. To achieve a high yield of metabolites in plants, increased cell division rate is one of the requisites. This improved cell division rate will promote cellular homogeneity. Incorporation and maintenance of plant cell synchrony, in turn, can program stable product scale-up.

Allergenicity Assessment of Novel Food Proteins: What Should Be Improved?

Allergenicity prediction is one of the most challenging aspects in the safety assessment of foods derived from either biotechnology or novel food proteins. Here we present a bottom-up strategy that defines a priori the specific risk assessment (RA) needs based on a database appropriately built for such purposes.

Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Feed: Is There Any Difference From Food?

Food security is one of major concerns for the growing global population. Modern agricultural biotechnologies, such as genetic modification, are a possible solution through enabling an increase of production, more efficient use of natural resources, and reduced environmental impacts. However, new crop varieties with altered genetic materials may be subjected to safety assessments to fulfil the regulatory requirements, prior to marketing. The aim of the assessment is to evaluate the impact of products from the new crop variety on human, animal, and the environmental health. Although, many studies on the risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) food have been published, little consideration to GM feedstuff has been given, despite that between 70 to 90% of all GM crops and their biomass are used as animal feed. In addition, in some GM plants such as forages that are only used for animal feeds, the assessment of the genetic modification may be of relevance only to livestock feeding. In this article, the regulatory framework of GM crops intended for animal feed is reviewed using the available information on GM food as the baseline. Although, the majority of techniques used for the safety assessment of GM food can be used in GM feed, many plant parts used for livestock feeding are inedible to humans. Therefore, the concentration of novel proteins in different plant tissues and level of exposure to GM feedstuff in the diet of target animals should be considered. A further development of specific methodologies for the assessment of GM crops intended for animal consumption is required, in order to provide a more accurate and standardized assessment to the GM feed safety.

Recent practical researches in the development of gluten-free breads

Wheat bread is consumed globally and has played a critical role in the story of civilization since the development of agriculture. While the aroma and flavor of this staple food continue to delight and satisfy most people, some individuals have a specific allergy to wheat or a genetic disposition to celiac disease. To improve the quality of life of these patients from a dietary standpoint, food-processing researchers have been seeking to develop high-quality gluten-free bread. As the quality of wheat breads depends largely on the viscoelastic properties of gluten, various ingredients have been employed to simulate its effects, such as hydrocolloids, transglutaminase, and proteases. Recent attempts have included the use of redox regulation as well as particle-stabilized foam. In this short review, we introduce the ongoing advancements in the development of gluten-free bread, by our laboratory as well as others, focusing mainly on rice-based breads. The social and scientific contexts of these efforts are also mentioned.

Variability of Crops' Compositional Characteristics: What Do Experimental Data Show?

Common pillar across the risk assessment strategies implemented worldwide for genetically modified plants is the comparison of their compositional profile to that of conventional counterparts deemed safe. If differences are observed, those that cannot be attributed to natural variation are further evaluated for their safety relevance. This principle is clear, but its implementation is challenging. Here we first discuss the difficulties of estimating natural variation of crop-specific compositional end-points and the various attempts made, together with their advantages and limitations. Second we present the empirical distribution curves of compositional end-points for two crops bearing a large commercial interest worldwide, maize and soybean. These curves provide novel information on end-point specific variability relevant for further progressing in the risk assessment process.