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Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Foods

Why is it important?

Biotechnology, specifically products that have benefited from genetic engineering (commonly referred to as genetically modified organisms, or GMO) provides opportunities and presents challenges.  The benefits of food biotechnology include:

  • Increased crop productivity including herbicide tolerance, pest and disease resistance, e.g. herbicide resistant plants that can withstand herbicides which are sprayed on crops to reduce weeds or plants that act as pesticides.  (For example, the NatureMark potato acts as a pesticide for the Colorado potato beetle but is harmless to animals and humans).
  • Food processing aids such as chymosin used in cheese making to replace calf rennet; its benefits include purity, reliable supply, cost savings, high cheese yield efficiency and non-animal source
  • Cold tolerance where plants are developed to tolerate cold temperatures and withstand unexpected frost which could destroy seedlings
  • Drought and salinity tolerance where current inhospitable regions can now be cultivated
  • Improved nutrition in crops such as rice which is a staple in developing countries but it is nutritionally inadequate; genetically engineered "golden rice" is high in beta-carotene (vitamin A)
  • Phyto-remediation, where plants such as poplar trees are grown not as crops but to clean up the heavy metal soil contamination

Future benefits may include: food without allergens; grains, fruit & vegetables with improved nutrition, longer shelf life and better taste; rice enhanced with iron to prevent anemia and foods used as vaccines. Overall, biotechnology seeks to improve the quality and quantity of the food supply.

The challenges surrounding food biotechnology include:

  • Environmental – There may be unintended harm to other organisms such as:
    • potential risk of harm to non-target organisms, e.g. a pest resistant crop that produces toxins that may harm both crop-damaging and non crop-damaging insects
    • reduced effectiveness of pesticides as pests become resistant to modified crops
    • gene transfer to non-target species where herbicide tolerant plants crossbreed with weeds potentially creating herbicide resistant weeds
    • Human health risks – There may be a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals

What You Need to Know?

To our knowledge, there are currently no genetically engineered fresh fruit or vegetables available for sale to consumers.  If there were genetically engineered fresh fruit or vegetables at the retail level, they would be approved by Health Canada and would be safe for consumers.  Two examples of genetically engineered fresh produce are the NewLeaf potatoes, which are resistant to the Colorado Potato Beetle and the FLVR SVR tomato, which has an increased ripening time.  Both of these products were reviewed and approved by Health Canada who concluded that both of these products are as safe and nutritious as other commercially available potatoes and tomatoes. 

In Canada, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) share the responsibilities for the safety of novel foods developed using agricultural biotechnology.  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada addresses issues with growing fresh fruits and vegetables developed using biotechnology. 

Before a product is approved in Canada, both Health Canada and the CFIA determine the safety or potential risks to human, plant and animal health and the environment. The organization applying for approval collects the data for the government's team of scientific experts. All assessments are performed on a case by case basis, and only products judged to be as safe as their traditional counterparts, are approved. The goal is to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks. For a list of currently approved novel foods, please click this link http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/appro/index_e.html

Mandatory labelling responsibility is shared by Health Canada and CFIA, and is required to indicate when safety concerns such as allergenicity and compositional or nutritional changes are identified for all foods including genetically modified foods. If a food derived from biotechnology is assessed and determined as being safe, with no allergens, compositional, or nutritional changes, it does not have to be labelled as there are not any food safety or human safety issues.  Voluntary labelling of foods derived from biotechnology is permitted under current legislation as an option for food companies to meet marketplace demands.

Food biotechnology has the ability to solve hunger and malnutrition issues, improve crop yields and reduce chemical usage.  However, there are challenges such as environmental, human health and economic concerns which need to be addressed. As biotechnology develops, the government and concerned stakeholders continue to play an active role in the international forum to ensure that the biotechnology regulations are appropriate for Canadians.

CPMA Contacts and Other Resources

For more information, please contact CPMA at question@cpma.ca, or use the following resources.