Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
characteristics of a GM crop with its non-GM
conventional counterpart and other com-
parators, of which the outcomes indicate
whether or not there are dif erences between
the GM crop and its comparators and
therefore form the basis of decisions for
further assessment of these dif erences.
h e extensive compositional analysis of
nutrients, anti-nutrients, toxins and second-
ary metabolites therefore constitutes a key
step in the safety assessment of GMOs. h e
consensus documents developed by the
OECD Task Force on the Safety of Novel
Foods and Feeds with recommendations on
which crop-specii c components are to be
analysed for comparative safety are a
valuable and widely used resource for this
purpose.
In addition, data on the chemical com-
position of crops can help predict potential
impacts on these crops' nutritional value.
Recent reviews on state-of-the-art of studies
on the composition of GM crops and their
nutritional value in feeding studies in target
livestock animals show that no additional
i ndings are to be expected from animal
feeding studies on the nutritional value of a
GM crop if the crop's composition does not
show any dif erences.
Before GM crops can be brought to the
market, they need to undergo a pre-market
safety assessment. An internationally
harmonized approach has been established
for this safety assessment based on the
comparative assessment, which includes an
extensive compositional analysis of the GM
crop and its comparators, including a
genetically close, non-GM conventional
counterpart with a history of safe use, as
well as other comparators. h e crop materials
to be analysed during this assessment
should be obtained from i eld trials carried
out in multiple locations according to an
appropriate design, allowing for a robust
statistical analysis and interpretation of the
outcomes. Based on potential dif erences
identii ed between the GM and the non-GM
crops in this assessment, it can be decided
whether a further assessment of these
dif erences will be needed for their safety.
h e compositional data can also provide
insight into the nutritional value of the GM
crop to livestock animals and whether or not
this has been changed compared with
conventional non-GM crops. h ere have
been promising advances in the i elds of
'omics' analytical techniques that may be
used as a supplementary tool to detect
unintended changes in future GM crops
with more complicated types of modii -
cations, yet this will require standardization,
validation and the establishment of data-
bases on background variability.
Codex Alimentarius (2008) Guideline for
the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of
Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants.
Codex Alimentarius, Joint FAO/WHO Food
Standards Program, Food and Agriculture
Organization, Rome (
http://www.codex
CXG_045e.pdf,
accessed 27 April 2013).
Davies, H.V., Shepherd, L.V.T., Stewart, D., Frank,
T., Röhlig, R.M. and Engel, K.H. (2010)
Metabolome variability in crop plant species -
when, where, how much and so what?
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
58(3,
Suppl. 1), S54-S61. DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2010.
07.004.
EFSA (2007) Safety and nutritional assessment of
GM plants and derived food and feed: the role of
animal feeding trials. Report of the EFSA GMO
Panel Working Group on Animal Feeding Trials.
Food and Chemical Toxicology
46, S2-S70.
DOI:10.1016/j.fct.2008.02.008.
EFSA (2011) Guidance for risk assessment of
food and feed from genetically modifi ed
plants.
EFSA Journal
9(5), 2150 [37 pp.] DOI:
0.2903/j.efsa.2011.2150
(www.efsa.europa.eu/
en/efsajournal/doc/2150.pdf,
accessed 27 April
2013).
Flachowsky, G., Schafft, H. and Meyer, U. (2012)
Animal feeding studies for nutritional and safety
assessments of feeds from genetically modifi ed
plants: a review.
Journal of Consumer Protection
and Food Safety
7, 179-194. DOI:10.1007/
s00003-012-0777-9.
ILSI (2013) ILSI Crop Composition Database,
Version 4.2. International Life Sciences Institute,
Washington, DC (
https://www.cropcomposition.
org/query/index.html,
accessed 27 April 2013).
James, C. (2012) Global Status of Commercialized
Biotech/GM Crops: 2012 (ISAAA Brief 44-2012):
Executive Summary. International Service for
