FSANZ Opens Call for Comments on GM Wheat Product Importation

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is opening the call for comments to the public regarding the importation of genetically modified (GM) wheat derived from the wheat line IND-00412-7. The line was developed to be drought- and herbicide-tolerant.

The application is seeking to permit foods derived from GM wheat for importation into Australia and New Zealand, as well as to allow the sale and use of foods made from it. These include products such as flour, bread, pasta, and biscuits. FSANZ emphasized that the product is not intended for growth in Australia or New Zealand.

Initially, FSANZ already conducted an assessment and found the GM wheat variety to have no potential health and safety concerns and that it is as safe as non-GM wheat varieties. Among the factors they assessed were the specific gene modification process, the potential unintended changes, the nutritional content compared to its non-GM counterpart, and the allergenicity and toxicity of new proteins.

The call for comments is part of the process that all applications need to go through to gain approval from FSANZ. All submissions are taken into consideration during the decision-making process and will be published on the FSANZ website at the end of the comment period.

Learn more about the GM wheat application for import from FSANZ.