Novel Protein Vpb4Da2 Against Western Corn Rootworm Passes Food and Feed Safety Assessment

Vpb4Da2 is a new Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein that confers in planta resistance against the western corn rootworm (WCR). After a thorough food and feed safety assessment, scientists concluded that the protein does not pose any greater safety risk to humans nor animals than non-genetically modified maize varieties.

The protein was assessed following the guidance from FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius commission in 2009. The scientists assessed its history of safe use and of its donor organism, its structural similarity with any known toxins or allergens, its physicochemical characterization and functional properties, and its stability in the presence of gastrointestinal proteases or upon exposure to cooking temperatures.

Results showed that Vpb4Da2's structure and function are similar to other insect control proteins found in commercialized genetically modified crops. They also found a substantial weight of evidence to exhibit that the protein does not pose any indication of risk to human nor animal health, such as the lack of homology to known toxins or allergens, a lack of acute toxicity in mice, its inactivity when exposed to conditions similar to the human gut's or during cooking, and the extremely low expected dietary exposure to the protein.

Read the full article in PLOS One to learn more.