Brussels, 02/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - Because there is no one test to assess the allergencity of genetically-modified (GM) good, a case-by-case assessment using an evidence-based approach is the best way to assess such products, confirms the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA).
This at least is the main conclusion drawn by the EFSA's GMO-group (a scientific group) in its opinion on strategies to assess the allergenicity of genetically-modified plants and microorganisms and GM food for human and animal food and feed, published on Thursday 29 July 2010.
Genetically-modified food can contain new or existing proteins that can cause allergic reactions in people and/or animals and EU legislation lays down that the allergenicity of GMO and food made from GM products must be measured before such products can be put on the market.
EFSA wanted to know whether the scientific assessment of the danger of allergies to GMOs was at the cutting edge of scientific progress and addressed the widest possible range of potential concerns in order to update its preliminary work on the subject (a draft opinion was approved on 21 October 2009). The GMO Group was therefore instructed to review and update the methodology currently used to assess the allergic potential of genetically-modified plants and micro-organisms. While the recommended approach is not new, the opinion does examine the interpretation of the results of the various methods and includes more technical commentary.
In its final opinion, the group describes how to assess protein sequences to identify potential similarities with known allergens, how to test proteins' potential to link up with known antibodies (which suggest that they might cause an allergic reaction) and how to assess the breakdown of proteins during digestion. In addition to the assessment of new proteins, the group recommends that in the case of extremely allergenic harvest, the entire GM plant should be tested for allergencity.
EFSA's final opinion incorporates the results of a ten-week public consultation on implementing the general approach to assessing the allergencity of GMOs and how to interpret the results obtains using the methods discussed in the scientific opinion. Some of the 181 comments received also cover more technical aspects and are discussed in several scientific annexes to the onion.
The public consultation exercise was held with 17 interested parties (national assessment bodies, non-governmental organisations, corporate organisations, academic and individuals) to feed into the initial draft opinion.
The final opinion can be found at http: //http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/scdocs/scdoc/1700.htm (A.N. trans fl)