Modern crop biotechnology uses new techniques to do what farmers and plant breeders have been doing for centuries: making small changes to the genetic makeup of plants to improve growing or eating characteristics. The new knowledge and techniques that biotechnology has brought to plant breeding have significantly improved the precision and the speed of the breeding process, thereby significantly improving the efficiency with which scientists can develop new crop varieties for Asia. Genetically modified foods are the most studied food products ever produced, but it is sometimes difficult for consumers to understand the exhaustive checking and testing processes that are applied to biotechnology-derived foods. Improving public knowledge of the safety assessment of biotechnology- derived foods is now thought to be an even greater priority and challenge than further development of the science and technology itself.


What people in Asia think about biotechnology AFIC’s own consumer research found that ordinary people feel poorly informed about this topic area. They would like to know more, but in language and terms that are understandable and acceptable to scientists and non-scientists alike. Indeed consumers have a right to know that their food is safe and nutritious. However, in order for consumer to feel confident that foods derived from modern biotechnology methods are safe to eat, they need some basic understanding of the safety tests and precautions that are applied the new varieties of crops and produce that are becoming available.

New technologies, new language and knowledge As personal computers and the worldwide web emerged, a whole new family of words and phrases also emerged, which consumers have quickly adopted and become quite comfortable with. Similarly, modern biotechnology brings with it new language and new knowledge needs. One example of this is ‘substantial equivalence’. This is a term unfamiliar to most non-specialists, but which is fundamental to the principle of safety assessment for genetically modified foods. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations advocate the concept of ‘substantial equivalence’ as the most practical approach to address the safety evaluation of foods or food components derived by modern biotechnology.


In many Asian countries, the most readily understandable terms for foods derived from modern biotechnology breeding methods are food biotechnology or genetically modified foods. Abbreviations such as ‘GM food’ or GMOs are perceived as jargon. Such terminology may lead to confusion, miscommunication and even misinterpretation of the topic and related issues.


What is Substantial equivalence ? Substantial equivalence is based on the principle that, ‘if a new food or food component is found to be substantially equivalent to an existing food or food component, it can be treated in the same manner with respect to safety’. For a foodstuff to be assessed as substantially equivalent to currently available products, the products in question is subjected to multiple tests and checks. These include molecular characterisation of the genetic modification, agronomic characterisation, nutritional assessment, toxicological assessment and safety assessment. For example, typical questions that have to be addressed are: • Does the genetically modified food have a traditional counterpart that has a history of safe use? • Has the concentration of any naturally occurring toxins or allergens in the food changed? • Have the levels of key nutrients changed? • Do new substances in the genetically modified food have a history of safe use? • Has the food’s digestibility been affected? • Has the food been produced using accepted, established procedures? The overall goal of these tests is to determine whether the plant is substantially equivalent (in terms of chemical and nutritional composition and characteristics) to food derived from a conventional source that has a history of safe use.


A substantial equivalence evaluation focuses on the product rather than the process used to develop the product. If the new product is substantially equivalent to the conventional food or feed, then the product derived through biotechnology is considered to be as safe as the conventional counterpart. If the food produced using biotechnology contains a new trait, which changes the levels of nutrients or anti-nutrients, such as a higher level of a vitamin or a lower level of an allergen, the assessment focuses on demonstrating the safety of the new trait. Researchers must prepare comprehensive data to support the safety and holesomeness of new crop varieties developed through biotechnology. This process requires years of laboratory and field testing before a product can be brought to the market.


This article is based on extracts from Food Biotechnology: a Communications Guide to Enhance Understanding. The Guide has been produced by the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). It is intended to provide anyone who needs to write or talk about biotechnology or who simply wants to understand the science and the issues related to this important topic area, with the necessary information resources.


The kit is designed to provide the most scientifically sound and up-to-date information about biotechnology products and processes, in language that both scientists and non-scientists can understand and agree upon. The guide is available in English and other languages. For more information, or your own copy please contact info@afic.org, or download a copy from www.afic.org.


Countries in Asia have a long history of producing foods using biotechnology including soy sauce, tempeh and natto (fermented soybeans), belacan (fermented shrimp paste), cincaluk (fermented shrimps), budu and ngoc nam (fermented fish sauce), tapai (fermented milk), toddy (fermented young flowers of palm) and sake. Foods such as pickles, vinegar, bread, yoghurt and cheese are also the products of biotechnology.


Modern advances in biotechnology are not a panacea for all the challenges that Asia currently faces in providing its growing population with a varied, safe and high guality food supply. Nevertheless, biotechnology could contribute to this goal, through the development of crops that can give improved yields, require less pesticides, result in less enviromental degradation, better nutritional profiles, and better keeping and eating qualities to name but name but a few of the potential benefits


Some of the tests applied to improved crop varieties, to determine whether the plant is substantially equivalent (in terms of chemical and nutritional composition and characteristics) to food derived from a conventional source that has a history of safe use.


Safety assessment - Molecular characterisation - for new plant varieties produced through modern biotechnology, the source of the gene introduced into the plant is first identified. The transformation system used to insert the gene is defined as well as the number of copies of inserted genes and the integrity and stability of the genetic insert.


Agronomic traits - Usually the starting points for evaluating substantial equivalence. For example, in the case of potatoes, the traits commonly examined are yield, tuber size and distribution, dry matter content and disease resistance.


Nutritional assessment - Involves key nutrients including fats, proteins, carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals.


Toxicology assessment - Toxicants and anti-nutrients are compounds known to be naturally present in some crops that could have an impact on health if their levels increased. For example, solanine glycoalkaloids in potatoes or trypsin inhibitors in soybeans. The levels of antinutrients in crops produced through biotechnology are compared to conventionally produced varieties grown under comparable environmental and agronomic conditions.


Allergenicity - Genes from common allergenic foods are not used. Allergic responses to foods are almost always due to protein molecules in the food. Tests include examination of molecular structure, stability of protein in stomach and intestinal fluids and measurement of the amount of any new protein in the food.