Indonesia Seeks Comment on Food Safety Assessment of GM Maize

MON 89034, with lepidopteran insect resistance and NK 603, with glyphosate herbicide tolerance were found to be safe for food and consumption says the report on the food safety assessment of GM products based on the regulation of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control number HK.00.05.23.3541 Year 2008 on Guidelines for Food Safety Assessment of Genetic Engineering Products (PRG) on transgenic maize. MON 89034 produces the Cry1A105 and Cry2Ab2 proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, which are active against lepidopteran insect pests. Meanwhile NK603 was developed to allow the use of glyphosate containing herbicides as a weed control option for maize crops. The gene encoding a glyphosate tolerant form of the enzyme 5-enolpyruvlyshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) was isolated from the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4 and introduced into maize using recombinant DNA techniques.

Summary results of Food Safety Assessment of MON 89034 and NK603 (in Bahasa) can be downloaded at http://www.indonesiabch.org/docs/MON89034.pdf and http://www.indonesiabch.org/docs/NK603.pdf. The Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House invites the public to comment, input, and submit suggestions about the genetically engineered products (PRG) via email, phone/fax, discussion forums, guest book, facebook (Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House), or via http://indonesiabch.org/komentar/nk603/.

For information on biotechnology in Indonesia, contact Dewi Suryani of IndoBIC at catleyavanda@gmail.com.