Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
chemical characteristics. Alterations in the phenotype are identified
through a comparative analysis of agronomic characteristics such as
growth performance, yield, disease resistance, and others. Compara-
tive analytical studies of the chemical composition of the GM plant or
derived food and their conventional counterparts focus on key nutrients,
toxins, allergens, anti-nutrients, and biologically active substances that
are known to be associated with the crop. OECD member countries are
continuing to elaborate Consensus Documents identifying key compo-
nents that should be analyzed as well as ranges of variation to perform a
fully comprehensive compositional analysis of specific food crops.
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For
soybean, the data to be analyzed would cover, for example, the content
of proteins, fat, and crude fiber, the composition of amino acids and fatty
acids, the levels of endogenous anti-nutrients such as trypsin inhibitors,
lectins, phytoestrogens, stachyose, raffinose and phytic acid, and endoge-
nous allergens. Those parameters that fall outside the range of natural
variation would be considered further in safety assessment.
Critics rightly point to the restriction of the comparative analyses
that can only detect differences of known characteristics or parameters
but not any unpredictable modifications. This is, however, also true for
conventionally bred plants. The new profiling techniques that are being
developed to analyze and compare whole genomes, transcripts, proteins,
and metabolites may in the future assist in the safety assessment of
GMO. However, in the first place they might be a means of improving
our knowledge of plant physiology and metabolisms in general and thus,
contribute to optimizing plant breeding.
NewProteinsandMetabolites
Intended alterations in the composition of the GM plant such as newly
expressed proteins or plant metabolites are analyzed with regard to
potential toxicity and allergenicity. The source of the transgene must be
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OECD Consensus Documents for the Work on the Series on the Safety of Novel
Foods and Feeds: http://www.oecd.org/document/9/0,2340,en 2649 201185 1812041
1 1 1 1,00.html.
