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International aspects of the quality and safety of
Foods derived from modern Biotechnology
Prof. Harshraj. S. Shinde
K. K. Wagh College of Agril. Biotech, Nashik. India
Outline
• Introduction
• Rules 1989 for GMOs
• Act for Genetically modified Foods safety
• Framework for safety assessment
• General considerations while making GM food
• Safety assessment of GM food
INTRODUCTION
Genetically modified (GM) or transgenic plants, are being
developed with the aim of enhancing productivity
Improving the nutritional value of foods and livestock feeds
has been also made using the RDT and GE.
As more GE plants are released and the resultant food products
are commercially available concerns have been expressed
about their safety.
Cont…
• In Genetic manipulation of plants, there is a possibility of
introducing unintended changes along with the intended
changes.
• This unintended change may have an impact on the nutritional
status or health of the consumer.
Rules 1989 for GMOs
• In India, the manufacture, import, use, research and release of GMOs as
well as products made by GMOs are governed by the rules notified by
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India on
December 5, 1989 under the Environmental (Protection) Act 1986 (EPA).
• These rules and regulations, commonly referred to as Rules 1989
• The regulatory agencies responsible for implementation of the Rules 1989
are MoEF, DBT, Government of India, through six competent authorities
1) Recombinant DNAAdvisory Committee (RDAC)
2) Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM)
3) Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
4) Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBSC)
5) State Biotechnology Coordination Committees (SBCC)
6) District Level Committees (DLC)
Recombinant DNAAdvisory Committee
(RDAC)
Main functions
•Review developments in Biotechnology at National and
International levels.
•Recommend suitable and appropriate safety regulations for India
in r-DNA research, use and applications.
Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation
(RCGM)
Main functions
• To note and to approve r-DNA work.
• To ensure adherence of r-DNA safety guidelines of
government.
• To ensure experimentation at designated location,
taken into account.
• To Prepare plan about risk of experiments
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
(GEAC)
• To permit the use of GMOs and products there of for
commercial applications.
• To adopt producers for restriction or prohibition, production,
sale, import & use of GMOs both for research and applications
under EPA.
• To authorize large-scale production and release of GMOs and
products there of into the environment.
State Biotechnology Coordination Committees
(SBCC)
• Powers to inspect, investigate and to take punitive action in
case of violations
• To review periodically the safety and control measures in
various institutions handling GMOs.
• To act as agency at State level to assess the damage, if any, due
to release of GMOs and to take on site control measures.
• The Committee coordinates the activities related to GMOs in
the State with the Central Ministries.
District Level Committees (DLC)
• To monitor the safety regulations in installations
• Has powers to inspect, investigate and report to the SBCC or
the GEAC about violations under EPA.
• To act as nodal agency at District level to assess the damage, if
any, due to release of GMOs and to take on site control
measures.
Institutional Biosafety Committees
(IBSC)
• To bring out guidelines specifying producers for regulatory process on
GMOs in research, use and applications to ensure environmental safety.
• To lay down producers for restriction or prohibition, production, sale,
import & use of GMOs both for research and applications.
• To authorize imports of GMOs/ transgenes for research purposes.
• To authorize field experiments in 20 acres in multi-locations in one crop
season with up to one acre at one site.
• To undertake visits to GM experimental plots
Act for Genetically modified Foods safety
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is
primarily responsible with ensuring the availability of food
that is safe.
• In 2006, the Food Standards and Safety Act, 2006 was
implemented by the Food Safety and Standards Authority and
includes genetically modified foods under the food category.
• The ICMR as the scientific advisory body of MoHFW, has
formulated the guidelines to establish the safety assessment of
foods derived from GE plants
Framework for safety assessment
• The safety assessment of foods derived from GE plants follows a
stepwise process aided by a series of questions.
• Factors taken into account in the safety assessment include
Identity
Source
Composition
Effects of processing/cooking
Transformation process
The recombinant DNA (e.g., stability of insertion, potential for gene
transfer)
Expression product of the novel DNA
General considerations while making GM food
1. Description of the non-transgenic host plant and its use as food.
2. Description of the donor organisms
3. Description of the genetic modification
4. Characterization of the genetic modification
Cont…
1. Description of the non-transgenic host plant and its use as
food.
 Common or usual name; botanical name; and, taxonomic
classification
 Centre of origin and history of cultivation
 Plant’s genotype and phenotype relevant to its safety, including
any known toxicity or allergenicity
 History of safe use for consumption as food
Cont…
2. Description of the donor organisms
• Common name
• Scientific name
• Taxonomic classification
• Information about the natural history of the organism as
concerns human health
• Information on naturally occurring toxins, anti-nutrients and
allergens
• Pathogenicity to human
Cont…
3. Description of the genetic modification.
• Information on the specific method used for the modification (e.g.
Agrobacterium mediated transformation or direct transformation methods)
• Details of modifications to be introduced, (e.g., changes in amino acid
sequence that may affect expression of the expressed protein)
• Details of toxic nature, allergic nature and pathogenicity of that gene and
protein
Cont…
4. Characterization of the genetic modification
• Molecular and biochemical characterization of the genetic
modification needs to be carried out
• The characterization and description of the inserted genetic
materials
• The number of insertion sites
• Copy number of inserted gene
• Nature of promoter region
• The gene product(s) function
• The phenotypic description of the new trait
Safety assessment of GM food
1. Assessment of possible toxicity
2. Assessment of possible allergenicity
3. Biochemical analysis of protein produced after GM
4. Intended nutritional modifications
5. Unintended effects
Cont…
1. Assessment of possible toxicity
• Possible toxicity is checked by checking the carcinogenic and
mutagenic nature of protein produced by GM
• Possible toxicity is also checked using experimental animals
like mouse
Cont…
2. Assessment of possible allergenicity
• Human IgE response to oral exposure of that compound
• Any significant similarity between the amino acid sequence of
the protein and that of known allergens
• Evidence of contact allergy by checking skin inflammation or
dermatitis
Cont…
2. Biochemical analysis of protein produced after GM
• Weather acts as anti-nutrients
• Biochemical analysis of protein can be studied using HPLC or
GC
Cont…
3. Intended nutritional modifications
• Weather the right compound has been formed or not or
intended modification has been made or not.
Cont…
4. Unintended effects
• Unintended effects can result from the random insertion of
DNA sequences into the plant genome
• which may cause disruption or silencing of existing genes,
activation of silent genes,
• or modifications in the expression of existing genes
• Unintended effects may also result in the formation of new or
changed patterns of metabolites.
Thank you