EFSA and Member States Discuss GMO Risk Assessment Approach

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) met with more than 60 GMO experts from national regulatory risk assessment bodies from across the European Union to discuss the best scientific approaches to evaluate the safety of genetically modified organisms at the national and European levels. One key issue addressed at the meeting is the risk assessment methodologies and approaches to GMOs. Several experts asked EFSA to develop guidance further, particularly concerning field trials, regional specificity and potential effects on non-target organisms.

The use of statistics in risk assessment to estimate biological differences between GM plant and its non-transgenic counterpart, was discussed in detail. Although statistics are important, the Member State representatives emphasized that biological relevance should drive the dynamics of risk assessment rather than statistical significance.

The Food Safety Authority maintains that in cases where molecular, phenotypic and agronomic analyses have demonstrated that there are differences between the GM plant derived food and feed and their conventional counterpart, apart from the inserted trait, a 90-day animal feeding trial will be required.

For more information read http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178682961414.htm