Philippine FDA Reassures Public About Safety of GM Crops

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory regarding the safety of genetically modified foods in the country. FDA reiterated that all GM food products available in the market have passed food safety assessment based on the UN FAO/WHO CODEX Alimentarus Risk Analysis of Food Derived from Modern Biotechnology and Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants. The advisory stressed that all GM food products in the market have met international food safety standards and are as safe as food from conventional crops.

FDA also stated that there are different GM crops that are currently under testing. These GM crops are being assessed on case-by-case basis, following the CODEX Alimentarius guidelines for determining their safety, including toxicity, allergenicity and nutritional quality, or assessment of any nutritional claim. FDA stressed their support for robust science-based evaluation system of CODEX Alimentarium Commission using data and information from field trials and laboratory tests.

Read the advisory at http://www.fda.gov.ph/advisories/food/79847-fda-advisory-no-2013-014.