FSANZ Calls for Public Comments on Food Derived from GM Corn MZIR260

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) calls for public comments on an application to allow the sale and use of food made from a new genetically modified (GM) corn line MZIR260 resistant to lepidopteran insect pests, including fall armyworm.  

If approved, products containing GM corn MZIR260 could enter the Australian and New Zealand food supply through imported food products such as corn starch, grits, meal, flour, oil, and sweeteners. In line with the established approval process for all GM foods, FSANZ conducted a safety assessment and did not find any potential public health or safety concerns with food derived from this corn line. FSANZ concluded that GM corn MZIR260 is as safe as food from non-GM corn varieties.

The approval of this application would only permit the sale of food products made from this GM corn line. Cultivation of GM corn MZIR260 in Australia or New Zealand would require regulatory approvals from the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia and the Environmental Protection Authority in New Zealand.

For more details about this consultation, or to submit a comment about this proposal, visit the Application A1302 page in the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions of comments will close at 6 pm (AEDT) on December 4, 2024.