Where is the technology being used?

1
The Plant World and Genetic Engineering Part
III Public Issues
Jana Klose, Greg Lampard UBC Biotechnology
Laboratory
2
Whoa! Who is Keeping us Safe?

• Canada
• Health Canada
• Human Safety
• Stringent evaluation of safety of GM foods
• How was the product made?
• Is the GM product different from the non-modified
  product (Composition and Nutritional value)?
• Is there potential for toxicity of allergic
  reactions?

3
Safety

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
• Regulation of the non-human effects
• Stringent Safety testing
• Environmental impact field trials
• Impact on Livestock feeding trials
• Registration of all crop products under the Seeds
  Act

4
Food Safety

• GM products must meet ALL standards
• Additional testing can be requested at any time
  before or after approval

5
What about allergic reactions?

• All new food products (GM and non-GM) must
  undergo strict testing
• Testing includes
• Potential for an allergic response
• Comparison of the food versus all known allergens

6
What about allergic reactions?

• Many people have food allergies
• The brazil nut example
• A transgenic soybean with an inserted gene from
  Brazil nuts was created
• It was later found that this gene encoded a major
  allergen
• As a result of this assessment, commercial
  interest in this transgenic soybean variety was
  abandoned
• Steve L. Taylor Department of Food Science
  Technology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
  68583-0919, USAhttp//www.agbios.com/articles/200
  0151-A.htm

7
Are GM Foods Labeled?

• Policy is controlled by Health Canada and the
  CFIA
• Currently approximately 70 of foodstuffs in
  North America contain components derived from GM
  crops
• Voluntary labelling

8
Public Acceptance

• What is it?
• What do I get out of it?
• Is it safe?
• Do I have choice?
• Is it natural?

9
Public Acceptance

• What is it?
• Producers and consumers must come together to
  educate each other on what the technology is and
  also what consumers want
• Producers have not done a good job
• Consumers must decide!

10
Public Acceptance

• What do I get?
• Much of the current products directly benefit
  farmers
• What would the reaction be if a non-allergenic
  peanut or edible vaccine was produced?
• Perhaps resources should be devoted to useful
  products

11
Public Acceptance

• Is it safe?
• Safety testing is stringent, but short term only
• Results made public?
• Labeling
• Do I have a choice?
• Labeling products would give consumers the choice
  to use or not to use

12
Public Acceptance

• Is it natural?
• Genetic modification of plants is a natural
  process Recall the Agrobacterium example from
  lecture 1

13
Summary

• Transgenic plants have potential to impact many
  areas, including our food supply and our
  healthcare system
• There is no doubt that the technology works
• It is essential that proper testing of all
  products be carried out prior to commercialization

14
Summary

• Labeling products would allow consumers to choose
  what they want to consume
• Educate yourself!