Biotech Substances Equal Regular Additives

October 8, 1999

A Food and Drug Administration official says substances intentionally added to food through biotechnology are "functionally very similar" to other proteins, fats and carbohydrates safely consumed in the diet.

James H. Maryanski, biotechnology coordinator, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at FDA, told the Senate Agriculture Committee that such biotech substances "will be presumptively generally recognized as safe."

When conducting safety evaluations of genetically engineered foods, FDA considers not only the final product but the techniques used to create it, says Maryanski. "Although study of the final product ultimately holds the answer to whether or not a product is safe to eat, knowing the techniques used to create the product helps in understanding what questions to ask in reviewing the product's safety."

Biotech foods and food ingredients, including food additives, must adhere to the same standards of safety under the law that apply to conventional foods, he adds. "This means that these products must be as safe as the traditional foods in the market."

Because FDA determined that biotech foods be regulated like conventional foods, the agency has not established any regulations specific to biotech foods. Policy focuses on the traits and characteristics of the foods and applies to all new varieties of food crops regardless of the techniques used to develop them, he says.

Labeling will be required "if the composition of the genetically modified food differs significantly from what is expected for that food or if the genetically modified food contains potential allergens," says Maryanski.