Panel backs genetic engineering

Genetically engineered crops on the market are safe to eat, and genetic engineering is “not an inherently hazardous process,” a report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) finds.

The 235-page report by the NAS National Research Council and Institute of Medicine says it is “scientifically unjustified” to assess food safety solely on the method of breeding.

Genetic engineering uses molecular biology techniques to delete genes or to transfer foreign genes from one species to another.

“Instead, foods modified by any method that changes genetic composition should, when warranted by their individual characteristics, be evaluated on a case-by-case basis before their commercial release,” says the 13-member panel that completed the report.

The committee — chaired by Bettie Sue Masters, a chemistry professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio — did not give genetic engineering a free pass.

“Adverse health effects from genetic engineering have not been documented in the human population, but the technique is new and concerns about its safety remain,” the group says.

The report uses the term “genetic modification” to describe the broad array of breeding techniques — ranging from traditional cross-breeding to genetic engineering to the use of chemicals or radiation — used to alter plant and animal traits that can be inherited by succeeding generations.

“All evidence, to date, indicates that any breeding technique that alters a plant or animal — whether by genetic engineering or other methods — has the potential to create unintended changes in the quality or amounts of food components that could harm health,” Ms. Masters said.

She added: “The possible impact of such compositional changes should be examined on a case-by-case basis to determine whether and how much further evaluation is needed.”

The scientists say genetic engineering is “more likely to cause unintended changes than some techniques, such as simple selection,” but is “less likely to do so than other currently used methods, such as those that use radiation or chemicals.”

The NAS report said a new genetically modified food, whose composition is similar to a commonly used conventional version, may warrant little or no additional safety evaluation. But if any unknown substance has been detected in a food, it said, a “more detailed analysis should be conducted to determine whether an allergen or toxin may be present.”

Likewise, foods with nutrient levels outside the normal range should be analyzed to determine their potential impact on consumers’ health, the study advises.

Greg Conko, director of Food Safety Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said the findings echo the “conclusions of countless scientific studies that using genetic engineering techniques does not make food dangerous.”

“This [report] contradicts claims by anti-biotechnology activists who have tried to depict genetic engineering as hazardous. It also obviates the call for more stringent FDA regulation of bioengineered foods,” said Mr. Conko, whose nonprofit public policy group is dedicated to free enterprise and limited government.