The European Food Safety Authority has released guidance on the risk assessments to be considered should any companies apply for authorisation to market food or feed derived from GM animals in the EU

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published guidance for the risk assessment of food and feed derived from genetically modified animals and on related animal health and welfare aspects. The guidelines deal with the handling of applications for food and feed derived from GM animals; they outline the risk assessments which need to be undertaken if such applications are submitted for authorisation.

The EFSA based its approach on comparing GM animals to their unadulterated counterparts in terms of food and feed safety and animal welfare. The process was also subject to a consultation period over summer 2011. Another set of guidelines will be released later in the year covering the environmental risk assessment for GM animals.

Although there have been no applications for market approval of food and feed derived from GM animals so far in the EU, the EFSA said developing guidance was important because, “The technology has advanced rapidly in recent years and in some countries outside the EU, regulators are already evaluating the safety of GM animal products developed for food and feed purposes.”

In the final chapter of the guidelines, the EFSA gives recommendations for the post-market monitoring and surveillance (PMM) of GM animals and derived food and feed. PMM seeks to identify any potential unintended effects related to the genetic modification which might arise after the product has been authorised for placement on the market.

The EFSA concludes in its guidelines that the most important factor to consider in determining the safety of food and feed from a GM animal is the health of the animal itself, compared to conventional animals of the same type; it also looks into potential allergenicity which could arise from modifying an animal’s genetics and the nutrition GM products will provide.

However, with the largest biotech companies strategically reducing their presence in Europe in the face of overwhelming consumer hostility, the likelihood of such an authorisation application in the near future looks slim.

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