The Fate of Transgenic DNA and Newly Expressed Proteins - Animal Nutrition with Transgenic Plants - page 136

demanding the labelling of secondary
products like meat, milk or eggs.
Since the i rst report of a transfer of feed-
derived plant DNA through the GIT into
animals in 2001, many feeding experiments
have been conducted and have generated
over the last decade essentially similar
results (Beever and Kemp, 2000; Aumaitre
et al ., 2002; Phipps et al ., 2006; Alexander et
al ., 2007; EFSA, 2008), summarized as
follows:
 Fragmented feed DNA and proteins are
present in the intestinal tract. Feed DNA
fragments may be transferred into the
tissues of animals as a natural process.
 Evidence indicates that the presence of
feed DNA fragments in animal tissues
does not represent a safety risk to the
animal or the consumer.
 When gene fragments from ingested
DNA are found in organs, these foreign
DNA fragments do not possess biological
function and will not account for
apparent ef ects in the animal, nor have
they been found to be integrated in the
animal genome.
 When i nally reviewing all available data,
there is no scientii c evidence that milk,
meat or eggs derived from animals fed
recently commercialized GM forage are
less safe for the consumer than those
produced with conventional feed.

Aumaitre, A., Aulrich, K., Chesson, A., Flachowsky,
G. and Piva, G. (2002) New feeds from
genetically modifi ed plants: substantial equiva-
lence, nutritional equivalence, digestibility, and
safety for animals and the food chain. Livestock
Production Science 74, 223-238.
Beever, D.E. and Kemp, C.F. (2000) Safety issues
associated with the DNA in animal feed derived
from genetically modifi ed crops. A review of
scientifi c and regulatory procedures. Livestock
Feeds and Feeding 70, 175-182.
Beever, D.E., Glenn, K. and Phipps, R.H. (2003) A
safety evaluation of genetically modifi ed
feedstuffs for livestock production; the fate of
transgenic DNA and proteins. Asian-Austra-
lasian Journal of Animal Sciences 16(5), 764-
772.
Bendiek, J. and Grohmann, L. (2006) GVO-
Kontrolle von Lebensmitteln, Futtermitteln und
Saatgut: eine bundesweite Übersicht. Journal of
Consumer Protection and Food Safety 1, 241-
245.
Brigulla, M. and Wackernagel, W. (2010) Molecular
aspects of gene transfer and foreign DNA
acquisition in prokaryotes with regard to safety
issues. Applied Microbiology Biotechnology
86(4), 1027-1041.
Broll, H., Zagon, J., Butschke, A., Leffke, A.,
Spiegelberg, A., Boehme, H., et al . (2005) The
fate of DNA of transgenic inulin synthesizing
potatoes in pigs. Journal of Animal and Feed
Sciences 14, 337-340.
Buzoianu, S.G., Walsh, M.C., Rea, M.C., O'Sullivan,
O., Crispie, F., Cotter, P.D., et al . (2012) The
effect of feeding Bt MON810 maize to pigs for
110 days on intestinal microbiota. PLoS One
7(5), e33668.
Calsamiglia, S., Hernandez, B., Hartnell, G.F. and
Phipps, R. (2007) Effects of corn silage derived
from a genetically modifi ed variety containing
two transgenes on feed intake, milk production,
and composition, and the absence of detectable
transgenic deoxyribonucleic acid in milk in
Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science
90, 4718-4723.
Castillo, A.R., Gallardo, M.R., Maciel, M., Giordano,
J.M., Conti, G.A., Gaggiotti, M.C., et al . (2004)
Effects of feeding rations with genetically
modifi ed whole cottonseed to lactating dairy
cows. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 1778-1785.
Chowdhury, E.H., Kuribara, H., Hino, A., Sultana,
P., Mikami, O., Shimada, N., et al . (2003a)
Detection of corn intrinsic and recombinant
DNA fragments and Cry1Ab protein in the
gastrointestinal contents of pigs fed genetically
modifi ed corn Bt11. Journal of Animal Science
81(10), 2546-2551.

References

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