Regulations and Ethics

There are two sides to every issue…

Do I look likea Frankenfood?

Pubic Perception vs. Prudent Regulatory Policy

Biotechnology - GMOs• The United States grows many

transgenic crops.

~ 88% of the corn~ 83% of the cotton~ 90% of the soybean

Ingredients from these crops show up in everything from fast-food milk shakes to bags of tortilla chips.

Current Estimates and Genes Involved

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

Trends in GM Crop Production

Trends in GM Crop Production

Consumer Acceptance – U.S.

Scientific & Ethical Issues

• Safety Issues - Human Health:– Allergenicity of foreign proteins - e.g. - Nut proteins expressed in

plants– Identity of food sources (religious consequences)– Increased pesticide residue levels in plants made tolerant using

pesticide resistance genes– Increased numbers of antibiotic resistant organisms due to

antibiotic selection markers– Safety of “natural” pesticides in transgenic plants– Altered nutritional properties– Long-term safety issues – chronic toxicity

Scientific & Ethical IssuesSafety Issues: Environmental:

• Increased use of chemicals on crops, resulting in increased contamination of our water supply and food

• The creation of herbicide-resistant weeds; “Superweeds”

• The spread of diseases across species barriers

• Loss of bio-diversity in crops

• Increased sickness and suffering for genetically engineered animals

• The disturbance of ecological balance

Potential Advantages• Increased crop production - less loss due to plant

pathogens, drought, spoilage etc. - “feed the world”

• Increased nutritional benefits of food:e.g. vitamin A in rice

• Increased animal product yield - “more milk” (e.g. rBGH injected or transgenic cows)

• Production of biopharmaceuticals and possible “edible” vaccines (e.g. E. coli toxin genes)

• “Safer food?” Less plant damage - lower levels of mold infestation - lower amounts of mycotoxins

What is Regulation and Who is Doing the Regulating?

• A principle, rule, or law designed to control or govern

Agencies:• USDA – United States Department of Agriculture

• EPA – Environmental Protection Agency

• FDA – U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Regulatory Agencies USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

– Regulates environmental release of transgenic plants

USDA, Food Safety Inspection Service- Regulates transgenic livestock and poultry

EPA- Registers pesticides including those produced in plants- Since no plant produced pesticides are toxic to humans,

an exemption has been granted from setting a tolerance

FDAFDA- Regulates all feed and food not regulated by USDARegulates all feed and food not regulated by USDA