Biotech Updates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) deregulated biotech potato known as Innate, after 10 years of scientific development, safety assessments, and extensive field tests by J.R. Simplot Company. Innate potatoes have ~40% less bruise caused by impact and pressure during harvest and storage than conventional potatoes and have lower levels of asparagine. Asparagine is converted into acrylamide when fried, which is a chemical compound linked to cancer. It is projected that Innate will decrease annual potato waste by about 400 million lbs. in the food service and retail industries and about 3 billion lbs. discarded by consumers.

Simplot is looking forward to the completion of the FDA review process before Innate is introduced into the marketplace in limited test markets in 2015.

For more information, visit http://www.simplotplantsciences.com/ and http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/11/09/mcdonalds-mulling-embrace-of-simplots-bruise-reducing-innate-gmo-potato/.

Vietnam Issues Biosafety Certificates to Two Herbicide Tolerant Maize

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam (MoNRE) has issued on November 3, 2014, decisions No. 2485 and 2486 / QD-BTNMT granting certificates of biosafety for herbicide resistant transgenic maize with event GA21 (Syngenta Vietnam Co.) and NK603 (Dekalb Vietnam Co., Ltd.). The decisions came after assessing and evaluating the dossiers for registration in accordance with the provisions of Circular No. 08/2013 / TT-BTNMT dated May 16, 2013 stipulating procedures for granting and revoking certificates for biological safety of GM crops.

Rat Feeding Tests Show Bt Rice is Safe

Bt rice (mfb-MH86) produces cry1Ab protein to reduce feeding damage of pests including Asiatic pink stem borer (Sesamia inferens), Asiatic rice borer (Chilo suppressalis), yellow stem borer (Tryporyza incertulas) and rice leafroller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis). Huan Song of China Agricultural University and colleagues used rice flour from Bt rice and its non-biotech counterpart (MH86) for 90-days feeding test of Sprague-Dawley rats. The researchers separately formulated rodent diets at concentrations of 17.5, 35 and 70 % (w/w).

US States Reject GM Labeling Laws

Oregon and Colorado voters rejected the ballot measures that requires labeling of GM foods. In Colorado, 66% rejected labeling while in Oregon, 50.5% of the voters did not want GM foods to be labelled.

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