scholarly journals Genetically modified foods, science, consumers and the media

2002 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. R. Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Toxicity Tests ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Toxicological Assessment ◽  
Gm Foods ◽  
Wide Range

In contrast to the situation in the USA, where a wide range of genetically modified (GM) foods is available, in Europe very few GM products have been approved for marketing as foods, and there is widespread public concern about their safety and environmental impact. The marketing of a GM crop for food use in Europe falls under the EC novel foods regulations, and applications require the submission of an extensive dossier of information. The safety evaluation of GM foods presents considerable problems both in the conduct and interpretation of experimental studies, because conventional toxicity tests used in the evaluation of simple chemicals may not be appropriate for whole foods. To rationalise the safety evaluation process and to circumvent the difficulties in toxicological assessment of food materials, the concept of substantial equivalence has been developed. The concept is that if it can be demonstrated that the novel food is essentially similar to its conventional counterpart in terms of critical nutritional or anutritional components, then it is likely to be no more or less toxic than the latter. The possible introduction of unintended effects by the genetic modification process is particularly problematic for the safety evaluation process. The new genomic and post-genomic techniques are potentially valuable in the safety evaluation of GM foods, although they are as yet in their infancy.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Use of Zebrafish Feeding Trials for the Safety Evaluation of Genetically Modified Crops

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Gabriëls ◽  
Lucia Vergauwen ◽  
Marthe De Boevre ◽  
Stefan Van Dongen ◽  
Ronny Blust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Equivalence Testing ◽  
Oral Toxicity ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Natural Response ◽  
Feeding Trials ◽  
Response Variation

In Europe, the toxicological safety of genetically modified (GM) crops is routinely evaluated using rodent feeding trials, originally designed for testing oral toxicity of chemical compounds. We aimed to develop and optimize methods for advancing the use of zebrafish feeding trials for the safety evaluation of GM crops, using maize as a case study. In a first step, we evaluated the effect of different maize substitution levels. Our results demonstrate the need for preliminary testing to assess potential feed component-related effects on the overall nutritional balance. Next, since a potential effect of a GM crop should ideally be interpreted relative to the natural response variation (i.e., the range of biological values that is considered normal for a particular endpoint) in order to assess the toxicological relevance, we established natural response variation datasets for various zebrafish endpoints. We applied equivalence testing to calculate threshold equivalence limits (ELs) based on the natural response variation as a method for quantifying the range within which a GM crop and its control are considered equivalent. Finally, our results illustrate that the use of commercial control diets (CCDs) and null segregant (NS) controls (helpful for assessing potential effects of the transformation process) would be valuable additions to GM safety assessment strategies.

scholarly journals Assessing the Allergenicity of Proteins Introduced into Genetically Modified Crops Using Specific Human IgE Assays

2004 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1423-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E Goodman ◽  
John N Leach
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Specific Ige ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Crop Varieties ◽  
Specificity Of Binding

Abstract Global commercial production of genetically modified (GM) crops has grown to over 67 million hectares annually, primarily of herbicide-tolerant and insect protection crop varieties. GM crops are produced by the insertion of specific genes that either encode a protein, or a regulatory RNA sequence. A comprehensive safety evaluation is conducted for each new commercial GM crop, including an assessment of the potential allergenicity of any newly introduced protein. If the gene was derived from an allergenic organism, or the protein sequence is highly similar to a known allergen, immunoassays, e.g., Western blot assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, are performed to identify protein-specific IgE binding by sera of individuals allergic to the gene source, or the source of the sequence-matched allergen. Although such assays are commonly used to identify previously unknown allergens, criteria have not been established to demonstrate that a protein is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. This review discusses factors that affect the predictive value of these tests, including clinical selection criteria for serum donors, selection of blocking reagents to reduce nonspecific antibody binding, inhibition assays to verify specificity of binding, and scientifically justified limits of detection (sensitivity) in the absence of information regarding biological thresholds.

scholarly journals Genetically Modified Soybean Lines Exhibit Less Transcriptomic Variation Compared to Natural Narieties

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Long ◽  
Wentao Xu ◽  
Caiyue Liu ◽  
Mei Dong ◽  
Xinwu Pei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Genetically Modified Soybean ◽  
Kegg Pathways ◽  
Whole Seed ◽  
Gm Soybean

Abstract BackgroundGenetically modified (GM) soybeans provide a huge amount of food for human consumption and animal feed. However, the possibility of unexpected effects of transgenesis has increased food safety concerns. High-throughput sequencing profiling provides a powerful approach to directly evaluate unintended effects caused by foreign genes.ResultsIn this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses to evaluate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in individual soybean tissues, including cotyledon (C), germ (G), hypocotyl (H), and radicle (R), instead of using the whole seed, from four GM and three non-GM soybean lines. A total of 3,351 DEGs were identified among the three non-GM soybean lines. When the GM lines were compared with their non-GM parents, 1,836 to 4,551 DEGs were identified. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the DEGs showed more abundant categories of GO items (199) among non-GM lines than between GM lines and the non-GM natural varieties (166). Results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that most KEGG pathways were the same for the two types of comparisons.ConclusionsThe study successfully employed RNA sequencing to assess the differences in gene expression among four tissues of seven soybean varieties, and the results suggest that transgenes do not induce massive transcriptomic alterations in transgenic soybeans compared with those that exist among natural varieties. This work thus provides important support for safety evaluation of genetically modified soybeans based on seed tissues.

Statistical strategies for multiple testing in the safety evaluation of a genetically modified crop

2016 ◽  
Vol 155 (5) ◽  
pp. 812-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. VAHL ◽  
Q. KANG
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Consumer’S Risk ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Logical Operators ◽  
Adjustment Procedure

SUMMARYHazard identification is the first step in assessing the risk of a genetically modified (GM) crop. It employs the concept of substantial equivalence to evaluate crop safety. The current process relies on subjective opinions to integrate various comparisons among the GM crop, the non-GM counterpart and an assortment of non-GM references over an array of key endpoints measured in field trials. The pre-eminent need to control the consumer's risk in hazard identification has been left unaddressed. The current paper develops statistical strategies to resolve this issue. Hypotheses of individual tests are explicitly defined to reflect the study objectives. They are then grouped into families and connected by logical operators according to decision rules commonly used in crop safety evaluation. This pre-specification of hypotheses arranged in an organized layout leads to a simple, transparent decision-making process where the consumer's risk can be managed directly. A two-stage multiplicity adjustment procedure is created by applying fundamental principles for multiple testing to the newly assembled families of hypotheses. The practical utility of the proposed procedure is shown in a real-world example. Besides being easy to implement and convey, the proposed statistical strategies accommodate the addition of supportive evidence for safety and allow the nature of the genetic modification to be taken into account.

Equivalence criteria for the safety evaluation of a genetically modified crop: a statistical perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. VAHL ◽  
Q. KANG
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Genotype By Environment Interaction ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Substantial Equivalence ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Parameter Values

SUMMARYSafety evaluation of a genetically modified (GM) crop is accomplished by establishing its substantial equivalence to non-GM reference crops with a history of safe use. Testing hypotheses of equivalence rather than difference is the appropriate statistical approach. A necessary first step in this regard is to specify a reasonable equivalence criterion that includes a measure for discrepancy between the GM and reference crops as well as a regulatory threshold. The present work explored several equivalence criteria and discussed their pros and cons. Each criterion addresses one of three ordered classes of equivalence: super, conditional and marginal equivalence. Their implications were investigated over an array of parameter values estimated from a real-world dataset. Marginal equivalence was identified as adhering most closely to the concept of substantial equivalence. Because conditional equivalence logically implies marginal equivalence and is practically quantifiable from current field designs, the present work recommends conditional equivalence criteria while encouraging producers to improve their design to enable testing marginal equivalence in the future. Contrary to concerns of the ag-biotech industry, empirical evidence from recent publications indicates that a linear mixed model currently implemented by the European Food Safety Authority is adequate for assessing equivalence despite its lack of genotype-by-environment interaction terms.

Regulation and detection methods for genetically modified foods in Korea

2010 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hae-Yeong Kim ◽  
Jae-Hwan Kim ◽  
Mi-Hwa Oh
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pcr Method ◽  
Dna Primers

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been developed and commercialized in many countries for the past decade. The regulations on these GMOs in Korea have been established through the labeling and safety evaluation systems for management of genetically modified (GM) foods under the Food Sanitation Act enacted by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). To manage these regulations effectively, several methods for GMO detection, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods and immunoassay, are applied. For detection of GMOs at the level of DNA, primers from the promoter, terminator, other marker genes, and expressed proteins used in a wide range of GMOs were designed for single, multiplex, real-time PCR, and microarray applications. In Korea, multiplex PCR methods specific to GM soybean, maize, canola, and cotton were designed. The limit of detection (LOD) value was determined to be 1 % of GM mixtures, which is a significant value for the PCR method used for the labeling threshold in Korea. A DNA microarray chip was also developed for the detection of 24 GMOs, including GM soybeans, 13 GM maizes, 3 GM canolas, 5 GM cottons, and 1 GM rice. This DNA chip was proven to successfully detect GMOs from raw and processed foods. In the near future, more powerful screening and detection methods are needed for handling many kinds of GMOs and unauthorized GMOs.

scholarly journals Genetically modified food

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
F. PAPPAS (Φ. ΠΑΠΠΑΣ) ◽  
M. STEFANIDOU (Μ. ΣΤΕΦΑΝΙΔΟΥ)
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Genetically Modified Food ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Substantial Equivalence ◽  
International Consensus ◽  
Post Marketing Surveillance ◽  
Starting Point

International consensus has been reached on the principles regarding evaluation of the food safety of genetically modified plants. The concept of substantial equivalence has been developed as part of a safety evaluation framework, based on the idea that existing foods can serve as a basis for comparing the properties of genetically modified foods with the appropriate counterpart. Substantial equivalence is a starting point in the safety evaluation, rather than an endpoint of the assessment. The development and validation of new profiling methods, such as DNA microarray technology, proteomics and metabonomics for the identification and characterization of unintended effects, which may occur as a result of the genetic modification, is recommended. The assessment of the allergenicity of newly inserted proteins and of marker genes is discussed. Also, the post-marketing surveillance of the foods derived from genetically modified crops is imperative.

scholarly journals Image Statistics Preserving Encrypt-then-Compress Scheme Dedicated for JPEG Compression Standard

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 421
Author(s):  
Dariusz Puchala ◽  
Kamil Stokfiszewski ◽  
Mykhaylo Yatsymirskyy
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Image Encryption ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Input Image ◽  
Jpeg Compression ◽  
Image Statistics ◽  
Compression Stage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

In this paper, the authors analyze in more details an image encryption scheme, proposed by the authors in their earlier work, which preserves input image statistics and can be used in connection with the JPEG compression standard. The image encryption process takes advantage of fast linear transforms parametrized with private keys and is carried out prior to the compression stage in a way that does not alter those statistical characteristics of the input image that are crucial from the point of view of the subsequent compression. This feature makes the encryption process transparent to the compression stage and enables the JPEG algorithm to maintain its full compression capabilities even though it operates on the encrypted image data. The main advantage of the considered approach is the fact that the JPEG algorithm can be used without any modifications as a part of the encrypt-then-compress image processing framework. The paper includes a detailed mathematical model of the examined scheme allowing for theoretical analysis of the impact of the image encryption step on the effectiveness of the compression process. The combinatorial and statistical analysis of the encryption process is also included and it allows to evaluate its cryptographic strength. In addition, the paper considers several practical use-case scenarios with different characteristics of the compression and encryption stages. The final part of the paper contains the additional results of the experimental studies regarding general effectiveness of the presented scheme. The results show that for a wide range of compression ratios the considered scheme performs comparably to the JPEG algorithm alone, that is, without the encryption stage, in terms of the quality measures of reconstructed images. Moreover, the results of statistical analysis as well as those obtained with generally approved quality measures of image cryptographic systems, prove high strength and efficiency of the scheme’s encryption stage.

scholarly journals Investigating the status of transgenic crops in Iran in terms of cultivation, consumption, laws and rights in comparison with the world

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abolfazl Baghbani-Arani ◽  
Mona Poureisa ◽  
Hossein Alekajbaf ◽  
Rezvan Karami Borz-Abad ◽  
Khodadad Khodadadi-Dashtaki
Keyword(s):  
Transgenic Crops ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Gm Food ◽  
Gm Foods ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Transgenic Technologies

AbstractRecently, there has been a development in transgenic technologies in many countries to meet nutritional needs of increasing worlds҆ population. However, there are some concerns about possible risks in the field of growing genetically modified (GM) food, such as threats of biodiversity and food allergies making their use a challenge. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the economic effects and political scopes of GM foods in production sector and policies made by different countries in the world and Iran. Moreover, essential (practical and legal) solutions and guidelines were provided for production and consumption of GM foods, which are useful for governmental entities, Iranian politicians, and consumers' rights. The latest situation of transgenic crops in the countries with which Iran has the highest exchange of agricultural products (including Turkey, Pakistan, and the European Union (EU)) was also studied. Although, Iran has been one of leading Asian countries not only in the field of transfer of technical knowledge of genetic engineering, but also in development of the specialized knowledge of biosafety, and despite production of several transgenic plant lines by Iranian researchers, unfortunately no GM crop has obtained release and cultivation license except for GM rice that its growing process was banned after change of government. According to findings of this study, in Iran, growing and production process of GM crops does not follow the global trend owing to scientific and legal infrastructures.

Population survey of attitudes and beliefs regarding organic, genetically modified, and irradiated foods

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A Gwira Baumblatt ◽  
L Rand Carpenter ◽  
Caleb Wiedeman ◽  
John R Dunn ◽  
William Schaffner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Organic Foods ◽  
Gm Foods ◽  
Irradiated Foods ◽  
Organic Food Consumption

Background: Sales of organic foods are increasing due to public demand, while genetically modified (GM) and irradiated foods are often viewed with suspicion. Aim: The aim of this research was to examine consumer attitudes toward organic, GM and irradiated foods to direct educational efforts regarding their consumption Methods: A telephone survey of 1838 residents in Tennessee, USA was conducted regarding organic, GM, and irradiated foods. Results: Approximately half of respondents (50.4%) purchased organic food during the previous 6 months (‘consumers’). The most common beliefs about organic foods by consumers were higher cost (92%), and fewer pesticides (89%). Consumers were more likely than non-consumers to believe organic food tasted better (prevalence ratio 3.6; 95% confidence interval 3.02–4.23). A minority of respondents were familiar with GM foods (33%) and irradiated foods (22%). Conclusion: Organic food consumption is common in Tennessee, but knowledge about GM and irradiated foods is less common. Consumer health education should emphasize the benefits of these food options, and the safety of GM and irradiated foods.

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