Int’l bodies back biotech safety

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administation (FDA) recently said that safety of plant and food products developed through biotechnology is safe and has been established by many health and medical organizations worldwide.

The FDA made the statement to debunk allegations aired by foreign pressure group Greenpeace that the safety of biotechnology “has not been established”.

According to the FDA, there has long been a “global consensus” on the safety of plants and food developed through the biotechnology process.

Leading science and medical organizations worldwide back the safety of biotech food products, the FDA said.

Among these are the World Health Organization (WHO), the health arm of the United Nations (UN) which declared that “no effects have been shown on the populations of the countries where these products have been approved”.

The American Medical Association (AMA) shares the same position and has confirmed that “bioengineered food have been consumed for more than 20 years and during that period, no overt consequence on human health has been reported and/or substantiated”.

The French Academy of Sciences, meanwhile, said “all criticisms against genetically modified food can be rejected on strictly scientific criteria”. The academies of science of other countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia share the same position.

The American Society for Microbiology, on the other hand said it is “sufficiently convinced to assure the public that plant varieties and products created with biotechnology have the potential of improved nutrition, better-taste and longer shelf-life.”

The FDA explained that such plant varieties go through some 10 to 14 years of rigid screening, testing and evaluation before they are made commercially available.

 â€œThey have gone through more tests than traditional plant technologies,” the FDA explained.

The FDA also said the Philippines has an established set of rules and procedures for the screening and evaluation of biotech plant varieties and products.

We conform to the highest standards of biosafety, the FDA said.