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12 BIO LIFE January – March 2005 BIOTECHNOLOGY AROUND THE WORLD EU okays foods containing GM maize BRUSSELS—The European Commission recently announced it was granting authorization for importing food products with the genetically-modified NK 603 maize. The decision “takes effect immediately and will remain valid for 10 years,” the EC said. Previously, farm and environment ministers of the European Union had failed to reach any agreement on the matter. NK 603 maize has been geneticallymodified to tolerate glyphosphate herbicide. Before the authorization for food importation, it had been allowed for use as animal feed and for industrial processes. The new authorization means that foodstuffs for both people and animals that contain NK 603 and its derivatives like starch, oil, gluten and grains may be imported into the EU. The commission stressed, however, that the maize would be grown and harvested outside the EU. In compliance with EU legislation, any item containing the geneticallymodified maize must be clearly labelled as such. Earlier this year, in May, the commission allowed the importation of another genetically-modified corn, BT- 11, ending a five-year European embargo on genetically modified products. “The NK 603 maize has been scientifically assessed by the European food safety authority as being as safe as any conventional maize,” EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstroem said in July, adding that, “Its safety therefore is not in question, and neither is the question of user or consumer choice.” Explaining the latter, she said that “ clear labelling provides the farmers and consumers with the information they need to decide whether to buy the product or not.” Fish that glow in the dark WUKU, Taiwan—A Taiwanese company that became famous for its transgenic fish, has added a new species to its product line: a species that glows fluorescent gold in the dark. The gene-transferring exercise used by the researchers of Taikong Corp. involves the introduction of a fluorescent protein extracted from jellyfish, into the nucleus of a rice fish embryo by “microinjection.” The fluorescence is replicated through this process and takes hold in the fish embryo, and officials said the transplanted genes may come from a fish of the same or different species. The company’s finance manager Bill Kuo said the glow-gold-in-the-dark fish is the latest in a line of genetically modified fish his company developed since three years ago. Each fish sells for 59 Taiwan dollars ($1.80). TIME magazine had dubbed the company’s first neon fish, which hit the market last year, as “one of the coolest inventions” of 2003. Having overcome barriers to mass breeding the fish, Taikong has now set its sights on China. A Chinese fish farm has been licensed to mass-produce the transgenic fish, for which worldwide demand is estimated at 200 million. Meanwhile, some environmentalists remain wary about allowing mass breeding unless more tests and evaluations are done. (From Khaleej Times Online)
January – March 2005 BIO LIFE 13 US agriculture department has new biotech unit WASHINGTON—The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has a new dedicated compliance and enforcement unit under its <strong>Biotechnology</strong> Regulatory Services program. The APHIs administrator, Bobby Acord, said the new compliance program will focus on violation prevention, riskbased criteria for quality inspections and auditing, uniform enforcement and thorough documentation. He noted that “compliance with APHIs biotechnology regulations had been very high over the past 15 years, but with ever-changing science, it is imperative that the safeguards in place to protect America’s agriculture continue to evolve.” The unit is building on efforts already under way in the BRS to enhance compliance—including changes In Brazil, China gearing for GM legislation TWO of the world’s biggest farming nations, Brazil and China, are set to legalize genetically modified crops, according to the Nov. 19, 2004 issue of The Economist magazine. China is reported to be likely soon to authorize commercial growing of GM rice, while Brazil is just about ready to set up its mechanism for legalizing all GM crops. Actually, many farmers already grow GM cotton in China. And Brazil’s farmers plant GM soya in the far south, with the seed smuggled from Argentina. That practice is illegal in theory, but in October, well after planting had begun, such was given a go-ahead by a presidential decree. Meanwhile, a bill to regulate GM crops has been approved in the Senate and is being passed upon by the Chamber of Deputies. One problem standing in the way of speedy passage is this, though: the bill also embraces the controversial stem-cell research. It is known that the government cannot crack down hard on violators, because farmers have seen the advantage of GM crops. Brazil is the world’s second largest soya grower after the US, where nearly all soya is GM. Up to one third of the expected huge (60 million tonnes) soya crop this season could be GM. With legality questions being torn down, the proportion of GM is seen to increase. The GM seed, derived from Monsanto’s herbicide-resistant variety, does not in itself raise yields; but it cuts costs, making soya attractive to plant. For its part, China is well-prepared. Its scientists have long been developing GM rice varieties—mostly pest-resistant; and occasionally herbicide- and diseaseresistant. For three years now Chinese officials have done “pre-production” trials, giving the new seeds to farmers in diverse areas. So far, the trials show pesticide use down by 80 percent and yields up by 4-8 percent. While China’s environmental protection agency shares the usual doubts about GM and unofficial environmental campaigners are active against GM, China’s biosafety committee is seen in some quarters as likely to give the gosignal, primarily because of the health of farmers. Crop spraying that is now extensively used is not as safe as in richer countries; and consumers fear the risk of pesticide residues. Yet another implication that is seen is in nearby India, where farmers had rushed to sow GM cotton and where scientists have lots of biotech-rice skills. India might also rush into GM rice in order not to be left behind by China. regulations, permit conditions, inspections and auditing procedures. Created in August 2002, BRS is charged with regulating the introduction (importation, interstate movement and field release) of genetically engineered organisms like plants, insects, microorganisms, and any other organism that is known to be, or could be, a plant pest. Through a strong regulatory framework, BRS ensures the safe and contained introduction of new genetically engineered plants with significant safeguards to prevent the accidental release of any such material. Under the Plant Protection Act of 2000, failure to follow the conditions set by BRS can result in serious fines and even jail time.
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