Weight of the evidence: independent research projects confirm industry conclusions on the safety of insect-protected maize MON 810

A 90-day feeding study of genetically modified maize LP007-1 in wistar han RCC rats

LP007-1 is a variety of insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant maize containing the modified cry1Ab, cry2Ab, vip3Aa and cp4-epsps genes. The food safety assessment of the maize LP007-1 was conducted in Wistar Han RCC rats by a 90-days feeding study. Maize grains from both LP007-1 or its corresponding non-genetically modified control maize AX808 were incorporated into rodent diets at 25% and 50% concentrations by mass and administered to rats (n = 10/sex/group) for 90 days. A commercialized rodent diet was fed to an additional group as the basal-diet group. The diets of all groups were nutritionally balanced. No biologically relevant differences were observed in rats fed with maize LP007-1 compared to rats fed with AX808 and the basal-diet with respect to body weight/gain, food consumption/utilization, clinical signs, mortality, ophthalmology, clinical pathology (hematology, prothrombin time, activation of partial thrombin time, serum chemistry, urinalysis), organ weights, and gross and microscopic pathology. Considering the circumstances of this study, the results provided evidence that LP007-1 maize did not exhibit toxicity in the 90-day feeding study.

A 90-day rodent feeding study with grain for genetically modified maize L4 conferring insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance

A 90-day rat feeding study was performed to conduct a safety assessment on L4, a multi-gene genetically modified maize, conferring "Bt" insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance. A total of 140 Wistar rats were assigned to seven groups, 10 animals/group/sex, which comprised three genetically modified groups fed diets containing different concentrations of L4, three corresponding non-genetically modified groups fed diets containing different concentrations of zheng58 (parent plants), and a basal diet group fed the standard basal diet for 13 weeks. The fed diets contained L4 and Zheng58 at w/w% percentages of 12.5%, 25.0%, and 50% of the total. Animals were evaluated on some research parameters, including general behaviour, body weight/gain, feed consumption/efficiency, ophthalmology, clinical pathology, organ weights, and histopathology. Throughout the feeding trial, all animals were in good condition. No mortality and no biologically relevant effects or toxicologically significant alterations were observed in the total research parameters of the rats in the genetically modified groups compared with those in the basal diet group or their corresponding non-genetically modified groups. No adverse effects were observed in any of the animals. The results indicated that L4 is as safe and wholesome as conventional, non-genetically modified control maize.

DP-2Ø2216-6 maize does not adversely affect rats in a 90-day feeding study

Maize plants containing event DP-2Ø2216-6 (DP202216), which confers herbicide tolerance through expression of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase and enhanced grain yield potential via temporal modulation of the native ZMM28 protein, were developed for commercialization. To address current regulatory expectations, a mandatory 90-day rodent feeding study was conducted to support the safety assessment. Diets containing 50% by weight of ground maize grain from DP202216, non-transgenic control, and 3 non-transgenic reference varieties, were fully characterized, along with the grain, and diets were fed to Crl:CD®(SD) rats for at least 90 days. As anticipated, no biologically-relevant effects or toxicologically-significant differences were observed on survival, body weight/gain, food consumption/efficiency, clinical and neurobehavioral evaluations, ophthalmology, clinical pathology (hematology, coagulation, clinical chemistry, urinalysis), organ weights, or gross and microscopic pathology parameters in rats fed a diet containing up to 50% DP202216 maize grain when compared with rats fed diets containing control or reference maize grains. The results of this study support the conclusion that maize grain from plants containing event DP-2Ø2216-6 is as safe and nutritious as maize grain not containing the event and add to the significant existing database of rodent subchronic studies demonstrating the absence of hazards from consumption of edible fractions of genetically modified plants.