Chymosin is an enzyme used in cheese making. In 1990, authorities from countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States approved GM chymosin for food use. This was the first approval of a GM food ingredient. In 1994, the first GM whole food, the Flavr-Savr tomato, was released for sale in the market.
What foods are produced from GMOs? What is the approximate no. of such products in the market?
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the principal GM crop in 2008 was GM soybean, followed by GM maize, GM cotton, and GM canola. These four principal GM crops take up more than 99% of the global hectarage of GM crops.
ISAAA also reported that in 2008, GM crops were commercially cultivated in 25 countries. Many other countries have granted regulatory approvals for GM crops to be imported for food and feed use. Since 1996 and as of 2008, at least 670 regulatory approvals have been granted worldwide for the commercial cultivation and/or food and feed use of various GM crops.
Since Singapore imports more than 90% of its food products from various parts of the world, the increasing adoption of GM crops in many countries worldwide implies that it is most likely that foods with GM-derived components are sold here.
Are the foods produced from GMOs safe for consumption?
In 2001, the European Commission published a report summarizing the results of 81 EU-funded projects on biotechnology safety. The projects were conducted by over 400 research teams over fifteen years. The scientific evidences led EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin to conclude that "genetically modified crops and the products thus far developed and marketed, according to standard risk evaluation procedures, present no risk to human health or the environment. In fact, the use of a more precise technology and the more accurate testing during the regulation phase probably make these crops and products even safer than conventional ones. ”Another report was issued in 2005 by the International Council of Science (ICSU), an organization whose membership consists of 111 national academies of science and 29 scientific unions. After comprehensive analyses of 50 science-based reviews, the ICSU concludes that “currently available genetically modified foods are safe to eat.” The World Health Organization agrees that current varieties of GM foods "are not likely to present risks for human health.”
Closer to home, the official regulatory agency for GM foods is the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). As a non-regulatory advisory committee, GMAC works very closely with the AVA to ensure GM food safety.
GM foods commercially available in Singapore have undergone various lines of scrutiny for safety. Firstly, under international food practices, before a GM food can be considered for commercialization, its producer must subject it to rigorous tests on quality, allergenicity, toxicity, composition, and nutritional value. Secondly, all food products derived from GMOs must be assessed to be safe by the competent national regulatory bodies of the exporting countries. Thirdly, in accordance to the GMAC’s Guidelines on the Release of Agriculture-Related GMOs, applications for import or release of agriculture-related GMOs in Singapore are first submitted to GMAC, where an expert scientific committee examines the GMOs' origin, the experimental procedures used to create them, and the methods used to prove that they are safe for consumption. GMAC’s endorsement of a GM product will be one of the main factors that the AVA will take into account when considering the final approval.
In addition, AVA monitors the presence of GM foods in our market through regular testing in their laboratories.
Are foods derived from GMOs more nutritious?
To date, all GM foods available commercially are the so-called first generation GM foods. These have been bioengineered to express agronomic traits such as pest- and herbicide-resistance and do not differ significantly from their conventional counterparts in terms of nutritional contents.
Scientists have developed second generation GM plants with enhanced nutritional contents. While these have not been commercialized as yet, several varieties are in the pipeline for regulatory approval. A good example will be “Golden Rice” that is rich in pro-vitaminA.
Will foods produced from GMOs carry special labels in Singapore?
There are currently no legislations and guidelines for the labelling of GM foods in Singapore.
GM food labelling is a complex issue. It has implications on food imports, food prices, trade, practicality of enforcement etc. International consensus on GM food labelling has not yet been reached. The Codex Alimentarius, the world's authority on food safety and labelling, continues its work on the issue. The Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) is examining the various facets of the GM food labelling issue to come up with an internationally accepted position on the issue. Singapore, being a member of Codex, is working with other countries in the CCFL on the matter. GMAC has also set up a subcommittee to monitor relevant international developments and to help formulate a national position on the GM labelling issue that will be in line with international standards.
Meanwhile, it is accepted by most countries that GM labelling is not for food safety reasons but to provide consumers with choice. Although the AVA’s current food regulations do not require GM food to be specially labelled, GM foods, like all other food products, must meet existing food labelling requirements with regard to ingredient listing and information to facilitate tracing and recall. The local authorities will work to ensure that GM foods commercially available in Singapore are safe for consumption, and will also continue to monitor international developments closely to ensure that Singapore's labelling requirements are up to date
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