|
Biotech Allergen Issues
not Being Addressed
For the full report: http://pewagbiotech.org/research/
---
Pew Report: Biotech Allergen Issues Not Being
Addressed Properly
by Julianne Johnston
Agweb.com, 6/11/2002
A report issued from the Pew Initiative on Food
and Biotechnology concludes that limited federal funds are being
spent on food allergy research. The report states the science needed
for government regulators to assess allergies in genetically engineered
foods could be greatly improved.
The report, "A Snapshot of Federal Research
on Food Allergy: Implications for Genetically Modified Food," found
that nine federal agencies or institutes currently supervise 33
food allergy research projects totaling between $4.2 and $7 million.
But the report states those funds are spread thin and with little
coordination among federal agencies or between research teams. In
addition, the study found the existing research focuses on known
allergens such as peanuts and milk, and that almost no studies examine
the allergenicity of novel proteins potentially introduced by foods
created through biotechnology. In other words, the funds that have
been committed to address the problem are not being strategically
allocated to ensure research needs and opportunities are fully met.
The report states that as many as 10 million
Americans are estimated to have allergies to one or more foods,
and for them, reactions to those foods can result in illness or
even death. "The increasing use of genetically modified (GM) crops
raises several issues relevant to food allergies," states the report.
"On the one hand, biotechnology may help remove or change proteins
that can cause allergies, but genetically modified foods could also
introduce new proteins into foods that could cause allergic reactions.
Without prior experience with the new protein, it is difficult for
regulators to predict the potential of the protein to be a serious
allergen."
Noting the StarLink catastrophe, Pew executive
director Michael Rodemeyer said there are still many questions surround
the controversy. "After massive consumer product recalls, lawsuits,
buybacks from farmers and a disruption to American farm export markets
that continues today, we still lack answers to the basic science
questions posed by government regulators whether StarLink was or
was not an allergen," he said. "Was the Starlink recall even necessary
for allergy reasons? We just don't know."
"Unfortunately, this lack of scientific
knowledge is hindering both the government as well as the private
sector -- we need to invest in the science to give regulators the
tools and information they need to evaluate new products and protect
the public," he concluded.
Source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/pewallergens062002.cfm
|
