Sustainable Agriculture Literature Review - Boulder County

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potential into a food crop. The second category, which represents an intermediate risk, is
the potential for altering or replacing the endogenous allergenicity (the insertion of new
genetic material which can cause a change in the level of allergenic proteins normally
found) of a GE crop, which would cause an increased concern for already allergic
patients. The last category, which has received attention as of late, involves expression
of new proteins that may become allergens in man but generally represents a relatively
low risk to the consumer. 803
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Figure 41: Methods for Genetically Altering Plants 804
(Adapted from the National Academy of Sciences)
When a gene is transferred from a source of known allergenic potential, the assessment
of the allergenicity of the GM crop is relatively straightforward. Similarly, it is relatively
easy to assess the effect of genetic engineering on endogenous allergens in crops with
some evidence of allergenicity. There are several examples of this happening, such as
the demonstration of the allergenicity of the Brazil nut when used to enhance the
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