Biotech Updates

European Parliament Proposed Rules on Organic Food Products

April 20, 2007

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) GMO Panel has confirmed earlier safety assessments of genetically modified plants and derived food/feed comprising the nptII gene, stating that that the use of the gene as selectable marker in GM plants (and derived food or feed) does not pose a risk to human or animal health or to the environment. The gene provides resistance to certain antibiotics, such as the aminoglycosides kanamycin and neomycin in plants. The GMO Panel considers it very unlikely that the nptII gene would be transferred from plants to bacteria.

Read the news release at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press_room/news/ns_gmo_npt2.html.