EUROMEDICA  Hanover 23-24  Mai 2011	Advanced methods of diagnosis, treatment and prophylactics
	European Academy of Natural Sciences, Hanover European Scientific Society, Hanover

Home

Abstracts

Contact

Disclaimer

Novel foods are non-traditional foods with no history of safe use. “Novel Foods” are foods and food ingredients that were not yet used on a significant scale for human consumption prior to the entry into force of “Regulation (EC) No 258/97 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients“ (Novel Foods Regulation ) on 15 May 1997 in the European Community and can be classified in one of the following categories:

• with a new or intentionally modified primary molecular structure (e.g. fat substitutes);
• consisting of or isolated from micro-organisms, fungi or algae (e.g. oil made from microalgae);
• consisting of or isolated from plants (e.g. phytosterols) and food ingredients isolated from animals. Food and food ingredients obtained by traditional propagating or breeding practices with a history of safe food use do not come under the scope of the Regulation.
• to which a production process not currently used has been applied where that process gives rise to significant changes in the composition or structure of the foods or food ingredients which affect their nutritional value, metabolism or level of undesirable substances( e.g. enzymatic conversion methods).

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism.

When food-crops are genetically modified, (“genetically modified” food is a misnomer!) one or more genes are incorporated into the crop’s genome using a vector containing several other genes, including as a minimum, viral promoters, transcription terminators, antibiotic resistance marker genes and reporter genes.

Foods and food ingredients containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (e.g. yoghurt with genetically modified live cultures) which consist of GMOs (genetically modified vegetable maize) or are produced from but no longer contain GMOs (e.g. puree made from genetically modified tomatoes, oil made from genetically modified rapeseed) no longer come under the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation but are governed by the following regulations applicable from 18 April 2004.

The questions and answers about GMF have been prepared by WHO in response to questions and concerns by a number of WHO Member State Governments with regard to the nature and safety of genetically modified food.

However, publications on GM food toxicity are scarce. It’s more difficult to evaluate the safety of crop-derived foods than individual chemical, drug, or food additives. In fact, no peer-reviewed publications of clinical studies on the human health effects of GM food exist. Domingo, J.L. (2000) Even animal studies are few and far between. The preferred approach of the industry has been to use compositional comparisons between GM and non-GM crops. When they are not significantly different the two are regarded as “substantially equivalent”, and therefore the GM food crop is regarded as safe as its conventional counterpart.

The public concerns about GM food and GMOs in general have no enough information about health hazards, such as toxicity in genetically modified (GM) crops. May GM foods cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. Can they also produce allergies. Allergies are a major concern with GM food, especially if ingredients are not labeled in packaged food. GM peas seem to have no harmful effects on animals but that doesn’t mean they are safe for humans. Toxins were found in mice after eating GM potatoes. When the health risks of GM potatoes were revealed in some studies, a debate ensued.

Current testing methods need radical improvements. We need more science, not less.