FSANZ call for industry comment on food made from GM sugar beet line
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the sale and use of food made from a new genetically modified (GM) sugar beet.
Sugar beet line KWS20-1 has been genetically modified to provide herbicide tolerance.
If approved, food products derived from this sugar beet, including refined sugar or molasses, may enter the Australian and New Zealand food supply.
FSANZ’s safety assessment found no potential public health and safety concerns with food derived from this GM sugar beet. According to the organisation, it is as safe as food from non-GM sugar beet varieties.
Safety assessments are a key part of the approval process for all GM foods. To help people make informed choices, food made from this sugar beet would need to be labelled as ‘genetically modified’ if novel DNA and/or novel proteins were contained in the final food.
The approval would not permit the GM sugar beet to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. Cultivation would require separate regulatory assessment and approval by the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia, and the Environmental Protection Authority in New Zealand.
To have your say about this proposal, visit the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions close at 6pm (AEDT) 14 October 2024.
CCEP inspires young workers to create influential change
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has partnered with Year13 to empower young Australians with the...
Helen Strachan appointed Chair of Australian Grape & Wine
At Australian Grape & Wine's Annual General Meeting this week, Helen Strachan was...
Boosting plant-based protein manufacturing in regional NSW
Last month, the NSW Government launched a prospectus aimed at metropolitan and international food...
