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8/7/2019 A Consumer Perspective on Biotech Foods (Gregory Jaffe, J.D.)
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A Consumer Perspective on
Biotech Foods
Gregory Jaffe
Director, Biotechnology Project
Center for Science in the Public Interest
October 7, 2004
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Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI) Food and nutrition consumer organization.
Nutrition Action Healthletter.
No government or industry funding.
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CSPIs Biotechnology Project
Purpose Identifying benefits and risks
Establishing strong regulatory systems in US and abroad
Educating and informing the public
Positions Current crops in US appear safe to eat and environmental risks
are manageable
Some benefits from current crops
Future products need to be assessed individually
Regulatory systems in US and abroad need strengthening toaddress next generation of products
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Current GE Crops
Crops: primarily corn, cotton, canola, andsoybeans
Traits: built-in pesticide or resistance toan herbicide.
Countries grown: United States,Argentina, Canada and China
67 million hectares and 7 million farmers In Africa, South Africa grows 400,000
hectares of GE corn and cotton
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Beneficial Products?
Environmental Benefits
Less insecticide use
Less harm to wildlife
Less soil erosion and water pollution
Less harmful chemicals
Comparison to organic agriculture
Farmer Benefits
Consumer Benefits?
NEED TO EXPLAIN BENEFITS TO PUBLIC
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Potential Food-Safety Risks from
Biotech Foods Allergenicity
Toxicity
Unintended Effects Toxicants and anti-nutrients
Compositional Equivalence
Comparison of conventional and biotech food
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Potential Environmental Risks
Gene Flow
Wild relatives
Native land races (center of origin,biodiversity)
Superweeds
Harm to non-targets
Insect resistance
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Social, Economic and Ethical
Concerns International trade
Impact on small farmers
Reliance on multinational corporations Intellectual property concerns
Effect on other farmers (e.g. organic
growers)
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Safe Biotech Food
New foods tested before marketed
Independent agency determination that
food is safe Mandatory regulatory system
Government oversight of companies
marketing the new food Equity in treatment of products
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Government Regulation of Genetically Modified Foods
0
5
10
15
2025
30
35
Too much Too Little Right
Amount
Don't
Know/No
Opinion
Source: http://pewagbiotech.org/research/2003update/2003topline.pdf
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FDA Biotech Food
Safety Policy -- Plants Food, not process
Not food additives
Voluntary consultation everyone has complied
substantial equivalence
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Problems with Current
FDA Policy -- Plants Voluntary
Developer-driven scientific data
Not a comprehensive scientific review (See
CSPI Report Plugging Holes in the Biotech
Safety Net)
No further questions at this time response
Future biotech products will need additionalscrutiny
Proposed mandatory pre-market notice
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Advantages of Mandatory Approval
System FDA checks industry and shares responsibility
for safety
Conforms process to EPA process for pesticidal
plants and FDAs process for GE animals
Treats Americans the same as Europeans,
Canadians, and South Americans
Not more burdensome than FDA proposedprocess
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Com anies s ould be encouraged, but not required, to let t e F
revie data regarding t e safety of a GM food before t at roduct
goes on t e market
4
tronglygree
otstrongly
gree
ottrongly
isagree
tronglyisagree
on tno o
inion
ource: tt : e agbiotec .org researc u date to line. df
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Com anies s ould be required to submit safety data to t e F
for revie , and no genetically modified food s ould be allo ed on
t e market until t e F determines it is safe
6
7
8
trongly
gree
trongly
isagree
on't
no
ource: tt : e agbiotec .org researc u date to line. df
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Willingness to eat GM Foods if the Federal Government
made it mandatory for FDA to approve all GM Foods before
they enter the market place
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
More Willi ess Willi o i erence Don't
Know ot
Sure
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CSPIs Proposal for
Approval at FDA Mandatory, transparent process
completed before marketing
Specific data requirements and testingguidance
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FDA Approves Transgenic Animals
Behind Closed Doors Treated as animal drugs under Section
512 of the FFDCA.
Reviewed for human and animal safety Mandatory premarket approval
Process is NOTTransparent
Process is NOT Participatory Result: No public trust in decision
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Regulatory System Lacks Adequate
Measures to Ensure Environmental Safety
FDA lacks authority to address environmental
concerns of transgenic animals
USDA does not conduct environmental
assessments prior to release for many crops
Environmental assessments conducted by
USDA are inadequate
USDA has no authority over commercialproducts that have obtained nonregulated
status
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Oversight and Adherence to
Permits
StarLink
Violations of EPA permits by Pioneer and Dowfor Bt corn rootworm trials in 2002
Prodigene violations U. Of Illinois transgenic pig violations
Approximately 60 USDA permit violationsbetween 1995 and 2000
Bt corn insect resistance management (SeeCSPI Report Planting Trouble: Are FarmersSquandering Bt Corn Technology?
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Enforcement
Do the agencies have the will and
resources to oversee the industry and
punish the bad actors?
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The Re-emergence of Biopharming
CSPI Report: Sowing Secrecy: TheBiotech Industry, USDA, and AmericasSecret Pharm Belt.
16 applications for 2004 (6 in corn, 5 intobacco)
States covered: CA, TX, AZ, WA, IA, MO,
NE, KY, SC Both field trials and commercial
applications
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What About Pharming Using
Food Crops? USDA regulations are inadquate Federal food law only covers products intended
for use as food or feed
Current federal biotech crops policy is voluntary
consultation
Recent federal policies dont adequately cover
those crops OSTP proposals
FDA/USDA guidance
Recent USDA permit conditions (March 10, 2003)
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Transgenic Animals
Extremely controversial
Current confidential nature of regulation
will be viewed very negatively by public More than issues of safety ethical,
social, and religious issues
Potential to harm crop biotechnology
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Education and Information
Need education on biotechnology
Need education on agriculture
Need education on the food we currentlyeat and how it is produced
Need information about the benefits of
biotech foods Need to know which specific foods are
biotech
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Conclusions
Agricultural Biotechnology is one tool to moveagriculture forward
Need strong regulatory system to safeguardhuman health and the environment
Transparency and public participation areessential
Must have consumer trust in regulatory processto achieve consumer confidence in the marketed
products Risks to eating current biotech foods are
extremely small
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Gregory Jaffe, Director
CSPI Biotechnology Project
Website:
www.cspinet.org/biotech/E-mail address: