A new report has been published listing the regulations for food crops and medicinal plants that contain extra health-promoting ingredients as a result of genetic modification (gentech). The document is the result of a joint venture between RIKILT, the State Institute for Quality Control of Agricultural Products, and Plant Research International.

The report makes clear the differences between the regulations in the European Union and those in the United States. While European and American safety requirements for food and medicine are to a large extent the same, there are separate procedures in place for permitting the same products to actually enter the EU and US. The report details the areas where harmonisation between the regulations is necessary.

The report carries the title "Exploitation and regulation of plants genetically modified to express nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals". An interesting feature of the new gentech plants, which are intended to offer a benefit to consumers, is that they are on the interface between food and medicine. In addition, within the foods, there are again different categories to which the plants concerned can belong, depending on the health-enhancing ingredient and the form in which this is consumed, e.g. as a food product, ingredient, supplement etc. And there are also special regulations for genetically modified crops to be taken into account.

The report offers authorities, companies and societal organisations a unique overview of the current state of affairs with regards to regulations in the EU and US. The authors are themselves active in their daily work with gentech foods. RIKIlT is involved in carrying out research into gentech food safety. Part of the research activities of Plant Research International is aimed at the development of new plants using genetic modification and on the ecological safety of gentech crops. An article based upon the report appeared in Nature Biotechnology magazine on December 1.