COGEM: No New Indications for Potential Risks in 2 GM Carnations

The Committee on Genetic Modification of the Netherlands (COGEM) has released its advice on the renewal of the authorization for import, distribution, and retail of cut flowers of two genetically modified (GM) carnations. The applications were filed by Suntory Flowers Ltd. for GM carnations IFD-25958-3 (Florigene®Moonberry™) and IFD-26407-2 (Florigene®Moonvelvet™).

Moonberry™ suppresses its endogenous dfr and expresses the petunia dfr and viola flavonoid F3'5'H (viola), enzymes involved in the production of flower pigments. IFD-25958-3 also expresses a mutated SuRB genefrom tobacco, which confers tolerance to sulfonylurea herbicides. COGEM has advised positively on the import, distribution, and retail of carnation IFD-25958-3 in the EU in 2009.

Moonvelvet™ expresses petunia flavonoid f3'5'h which encodes enzymes involved in the production of flower pigment, and the petunia cytochrome b5 (difF) which encodes a protein that enhances F3'5'H activity. Furthermore, IFD-26407-2 expresses a mutated SuRB gene from tobacco, which confers tolerance tosulfonylurea herbicides. The authorization for the production, import, distribution, and retail of Moonvelvet™ in the EU was granted in 2015.

The advice states that there are no new indications for potential environmental risks and that the import, distribution, and retail of cut carnation flowers of GM IFD-25958-3 and IFD-26407-2 pose a negligible risk to the European environment and human health.

For more details, read the advice for IFD-26407-2 and IFD-25958-3.