Codex defines framework for evaluating GM food safety

Food & Drink Weekly, March 18, 2002

The Codex Alimentarius Commission on March 8 released its long-awaited report called the Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Biotechnology, a document, which officials say, provides a framework for evaluating the safety and nutritional aspects of genetically modified foods. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is a body operated jointly by the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva.

Codex approved the report, which defines "the need for a pre-market safety assessment of all such [genetically modified, or GM] foods on a case-by-case basis." Though the agreement is not legally binding, it derives its authority from the fact that it has been agreed to by all the member nations. The risk analysis has been under development since early 2000.

According to FAO and WHO, the assessment looks into both intended and unintended impacts of GM foods, identifying new or altered hazards and identifying changes, relevant to human health, especially in regard to key nutrients and potential allergenic components. The rules adopted as part of the risk analysis require authorities to "consider the uncertainties identified in the safety assessment and implement appropriate measures to manage these uncertainties," the document said.

The document also provides guidance related to analytical methods and other tools to be used in risk management. In that area, a FAO briefing on the subject said that the task force "reached a very important new agreement concerning the tracing of GM products for the purpose of facilitating withdrawal from the market when a risk to human health has been identified."

Additionally, the document adopts detailed requirements for assessing the safety of GM plants including tests for allergenicity and it called for efforts to be made to improve the capability of regulatory authorities particularly in developing countries, to assess and manage the safety of GM foods.