NOT RISKY, BUT...
The WHO says the current crop of genetically modified foods seems healthy, but new ones must be assessed cautiously
By Peter Capella
Agence France-Presse
Genetically modified (GM) foods currently on the market are unlikely to present new risks for humans, the UN's health agency said while urging a more cautious approach to future GM products.
The World Health Organization insisted in a study that procedures for checking new food products and genetically modified organisms needed to be adapted regularly to fast-paced change and innovation in the biotechnology industry.
"GM foods currently available on the international market have undergone risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health in any other form than their conventional counterparts," the study said.
No health problems had been found so far, it added.
The study also said that international guidelines for assessing the risk of GM foods, which are governed by the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), were "adequate" for measuring the safety of current GM produce.
"That's not the same as saying that GM foods are safe, because…it implies GM foods in the future are also automatically safe. And that is not the case," the WHO's top food-safety official Juergen Schlundt underlined. In addition, overall food-control systems in most countries were underfunded and many, especially in developing countries, had "major problems," Schlundt said.
Those included flaws in tracing the exact origin of foodstuffs back through the production chain if problems arose.
"A trace-back system is important for food safety no matter which issue, and it will be able to cover GM foods and longer term effects. It'll be even more important in the future," Schlundt said.
Potential risks of GM foods should be assessed on a "case-by-case" basis, taking into account the individual characteristics of each new genetically modified organism that is added to the food chain, the study said.
Public perceptions, social and ethical concerns about the costs and benefits of GM foods, and issues with intellectual-property rights in different parts of the world must also be taken more seriously.
"If we want to have a true improvement in GM foods, we can only do so with these broader evaluations," Schlundt pointed out.
The WHO also called for greater international harmonization to prevent the forming of a "genetic divide" that could deprive more skeptical nations of acknowledged production or nutritional benefits of some GM foods.
The first generation of GM foods had focused on economic advantages for producers and farmers while the second generation should produce more nutritional benefits, Schlundt said. "If we remain with only the first generation of GM food products then we are probably not doing the best we can for society as such."
The study acknowledged gaps in current knowledge, notably over the issue of food allergies. "A better understanding of the impact and interaction of food with the immune system is required to decipher how and whether conventional and GM foods cause specific health and safety problems," it said.
The three-year study was compiled by 10 national regulators and experts with the WHO to try to establish an international "knowledge base" for the evaluation of biotechnology in food production.
It followed widespread concerns or doubts in recent years about the sale and possible long-term impact on health of food made from genetically engineered crops such as wheat, maize, tomatoes, and potatoes.
In 2002 several southern African countries rejected food aid from the United States because it included genetically modified corn.
The issue has also generated a trade dispute between the US, where authorities have widely embraced GM foods, and the European Union, where a more cautious approach prompted a ban until earlier this year.
GM crops cover almost four percent of global arable land, according to the study.
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