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June 30, 2008
Source:
Conversations about Plant Biotechnology
Numerous international organizations have
endorsed the health and environmental safety of biotech crops
including the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, the
World Health Organization and the American Medical Association.
Registered dietitian and member of the American Dietetic
Association Mary Lee Chin describes the process of food
biotechnology, as well as the safety and benefits of genetically
modified foods.
"...the American Dietetic Association has come out with a stance
that advocates food biotechnology and reinforces its safety."
Mary Lee Chin, MS, RD
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View video about the safety of genetically modified foods
RELATED ARTICLE
Extensive tests
and evaluations result in 12 years of safe use
Dietitian Mary Lee Chin comments on the proven value and safety
of food biotechnology
Every day, consumers make numerous decisions about the food they
eat. Aside from choices based on how a food tastes, many of
these decisions require a good understanding of nutrition, food
science and, sometimes, even agriculture. Do I want less fat or
fewer calories? Do I want food that has been organically or
conventionally grown?
“It’s not surprising to me that people are concerned about any
new type of food or food production method that comes on the
market,” says Mary Lee Chin, MS, RD, who has been practicing
dietetics for more than 30 years. “But as a registered
dietician, I can assure them that the regulatory oversight, the
research and development that has gone into [food
biotechnology], produces the good food that ends up on their
dinner plate.”
When genetically modified crops were first introduced in the
mid-1990s, most consumers were not very aware that research into
biotechnology could be or was being applied to food. However,
for decades, researchers had been studying how food
biotechnology could safely increase productivity on the farm, as
well as nutritional value on the plate.
Researchers developed extensive tests and evaluations to assess
the safety of food biotechnology products through the concept of
substantial equivalence. Under this concept, researchers use
science-based safety assessments to determine if food
biotechnology products are as safe as – or substantially
equivalent to – their conventionally bred counterparts. First,
they identify the similarities and differences between a product
and its closest traditional counterparts. Then, they subject the
differences to a rigorous safety assessment or further
scientific procedures as needed to clarify any safety issues.
All food biotechnology products currently available on the
international market have undergone and passed these
science-based safety assessments. As a result, in the last 12
years, more than 690 million hectares or 1.7 billion acres of
genetically modified crops have been grown commercially with no
documented adverse effects to humans or animals.
According to the Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit
scientific society for food science and technology,
biotechnology processes tend to reduce risks because they are
more precise and predictable than conventional techniques.
“Food biotechnology is the new way of doing it more precisely
and accurately,” comments Chin. “The old methods, you were
crossing tens of thousands of genes. … This way, you identify
the characteristic that you want. You select the gene that
provides the characteristic, and put it in the end product. And
you don’t get those unwanted genes and unwanted characteristics.
… It’s a more efficient way of doing it, too. And to me, it’s a
safer way of doing it.”
Numerous professional organizations, academic research entities
and regulatory bodies worldwide have independently and
extensively studied and considered all aspects of food
biotechnology, with a striking congruence in their resulting
conclusions and recommendations.
“My own professional organization – the
American Dietetic Association
– has come out with a stance that advocates food biotechnology
and reinforces its safety,” explains Chin. “There are many other
health professional organizations, such as the American Medical
Association, then international organizations like the World
Health Organization, which also support the safety of food
biotechnology; and not only because of the benefit from the
safety perspective, but also because of the nutritional benefits
and its ability to potentially feed hungry people in the world.”
© 2008 Monsanto Company. All rights reserved. The copyright
holder consents to the use of this material and the images in
the published context only and solely for the purpose of
promoting the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.
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