Introduction: The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) GMO expert group has adopted opinions from various parties and issued scientific opinions to assess the risk of allergenicity and response strategies for genetically modified plants and foods and feeds of microbial origin. This scientific opinion is part of the ongoing efforts by the European Union's Food Safety Authority. The European Food Safety Authority has long been committed to ensuring that its risk assessment always reflects the latest scientific developments and the potential problems that can be solved in the widest possible range.
The public consultation lasted for ten weeks and received 181 opinions from 17 related groups, including national assessment agencies, non-governmental organizations, business associations, universities, and individuals. The commentary mainly discusses how to implement general methods for the assessment of sensitization of genetically modified organisms and how to explain them in public opinion. Some opinions also involve more technical aspects. Please see the second link below this article for comments.
Genetically modified foods and feeds may contain new or existing proteins that may cause food allergies in humans and animals. Therefore, EU law requires that GM foods and GMO-derived feeds must be evaluated for allergenicity before they can be put on the market.
The GMO’s GMO team began this work to review and update potential methods for assessing GM plants and microbial sensitization. In the comments released, the team concluded that since there is no single test that can be used to evaluate genetically modified foods or feeds, cases can only be evaluated one by one, and the method based on weight of evidence is the most appropriate for detecting allergenicity.
In the opinion, the panel of experts described how to analyze the protein sequence to determine if it might be similar to known allergens; how to test proteins might bind specific antibodies (implying that they may trigger allergic reactions); and how to assess the digestion process The decomposition of protein. In addition to evaluating new proteins, the team recommends that all known plants be tested for allergenicity against known crops.
Two related scientific and technological publications issued by the European Food Safety Agency on July 29:
Results of Public Consultation on "Scientific Opinions on Assessment of Allergenicity of Transgenic Plants of Microbial Derived Foods and Feeds"
Original report:
EFSA delivers new scientific opinion on assessing the possible allergenicity of GMOs
29 July 2010
EFSA's Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Panel has adopted a scientific opinion on strategies for assessing the risk of allergenicity of GM plants and microorganisms and derived food and feed. This opinion is part of EFSA’s ongoing effort to ensure that its risk assessment always reflects the latest Scientific developments and addresses the widest range of potential concerns. Recommendations in the opinion are provided to update and complement EFSA's allergenicity assessment of GM plants and microorganisms and derived food and feed.
The final opinion takes into consideration a total of 181 comments, received during 10- week public consultation, from 17 interested parties including: national assessment bodies, non-governmental organisations, business associations and universities, as well as individuals. Comments mostly addressed the Issue of how to implement the general approach for assessing the allergenicity of GMOs, as well as how to interpret the results of the methods discussed in the opinion. Some comments also covered more technical aspects and are addressed in a series of specific annexes to the opinion .
GM food and feed would contain quantities of new or existing proteins which might cause food allergies in people and animals. EU revenue thus requires that that the allergenicity of GMOs and food and feed derived from GMOs be assessed before they can be placed on the market.
EFSA's GMO Panel initiated this work in order to review and update current methodologies used to assess the allergenic potential of GM plants and microorganisms. In its opinion, the Panel concludes that, as there is no single test to assess the allergenicity of a GM food or Feed, a case-by-case evaluation based on a weight-of-evidence approach is the most appropriate way to do this.
In the opinion, the Panel describes how to analyse 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 allergenicity.