Food - genetically modified (GM)

What is genetically modified (GM) food?#

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods that have been genetically modified themselves, or that are made using ingredients derived from GM organisms (for example, GM yeast). GM ingredients come from organisms that have had their genetic material altered using non-traditional breeding methods known as gene technology.

People have changed the genetic make-up of plants and animals for centuries through conventional breeding, such as the selective crossing of plants to encourage preferred traits. From the 1930s, breeders also exposed seeds to chemicals or radiation to generate new or enhanced traits.

Today’s genetic modification is a much more targeted process. It can involve transferring genes from one species to an unrelated one. The genes used may come from a range of organisms, including bacteria, plants or animals. Gene technology, sometimes called genetic engineering, is faster than traditional breeding and allows very precise changes to genetic material so that desirable traits are expressed.

These changes may involve transferring the properties of a single gene from one organism to another.

How genetic modification works#

Some genes can produce herbicide or insect resistance, or improve crop yields, and these can be transferred into food crops such as corn or canola. For example:

• GM canola can be modified to resist certain types of herbicide.
• GM cotton can be modified to resist certain cotton pests.

In different parts of the world, several other GM crops with a wide range of new properties are grown, and new GM varieties are constantly being developed and tested. Some, for instance, are being bred to withstand drought.

GM food and ingredients#

GM whole foods such as soy, maize or sugar beet may be used as ingredients in other foods. Even where few or no GM crops are grown locally, products on sale may contain imported GM ingredients. Common sources of GM ingredients include:

• Imported GM soya - found in a wide range of foods such as chocolate, margarine, mayonnaise, biscuits and bread.
• Cottonseed oil - made from GM cotton and used in frying, mayonnaise and salad dressings.
• Imported GM corn - found in foods such as breakfast cereals, bread, corn chips, gravy mixes, corn oil, corn flour and corn syrup.
• Imported GM sugar beet - used to produce sugar.

Regulation and safety of GM foods#

GM foods, including products that contain GM ingredients, are typically subject to food regulation before they can be sold. In many countries, GM foods and ingredients must undergo a mandatory pre-market safety assessment by the national food regulator before they enter the food supply and before they are used in foods for human consumption.

A safety assessment generally investigates:

• nutritional content
• toxicity, using similar methods to those used for conventional foods
• any tendency to provoke an allergic reaction
• the stability of the inserted genetic material
• whether there is any nutritional deficit or change in the GM food
• any other unintended effects of the gene insertion

A GM food will usually only be approved for sale if it is assessed as being safe and as nutritious as its conventional, non-GM counterpart. The commercial growing of GM crops is regulated separately, and the approval and release of GM organisms is often subject to thorough risk assessment that considers the environment as well as human health and safety. In some regions, suspensions or restrictions apply to the commercial growing of GM crops. Where GM foods are sold, labelling is commonly required by law.

Key points#

• GM foods are foods, or foods made with ingredients, whose genetic material has been altered using gene technology.
• Gene technology is faster and more precise than traditional breeding and can transfer traits such as herbicide or pest resistance.
• Many countries require GM foods to pass a mandatory pre-market safety assessment before sale.
• A GM food is generally only approved if it is judged to be as safe and nutritious as its conventional counterpart.

Where to get help#