European Group Assessing Allergens in GMOs
The European Food Safety Authority’s Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Panel has adopted a scientific opinion to determine the potential for an allergic reaction by genetically modified plants and microorganisms and derived food and feed, according to an article in Food Safety News.
“It is possible that GM food and feed could contain proteins which may cause food allergies in both people and animals. Because of this, EU legislation requires that the possibility of allergens in GMOs and food and feed derived from GMOs be assessed before these products are placed on the market.”
There is no one way to accurately and simply asses the allergen content in the genetically modified foods, but EFSA’s GMO Panel initiated the process in order to update the current assessment procedures based on the most recent scientific data.
“In the opinion, the Panel describes how to analyze the sequence of the proteins in order to identify possible similarities with known allergens; how to test the potential of the proteins to bind with specific antibodies (suggesting they could trigger an allergic reaction); and how to assess the breakdown of the protein during digestion. In addition to assessing the new protein, the Panel recommends that for crops known to be allergenic, the whole GM plant is tested for allergens,” the EFSA stated in a press release.
There is no information given in this particular opinion on what will be done with the information gathered from the tests.
The full text of the EFSA opinion can be accessed on the agency’s Website.
Click here for an interesting website with more information of GMOs.
GMO’s concern me. I looked into HOW they genetically modify foods. They use bacteria or viruses to penetrate the natural DNA code. Our bodies are designed to fight off foreign bacteria and viruses. This is NOT the same as selective growing- like only replanting seeds that come from plants that have a desirable trait. Could it be that our bodies are only reacting to the traces of bacteria and viruses left behind by this? Then our bodies “learn” that this substance is bad for us and the inflammatory, immune in our bodies begins. I can’t seem to find any research on this, but it does seem to follow a logical process.