FSANZ calls for comment on GM soybean

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for comment on an application to permit the sale and use of food made from a new genetically modified (GM) soybean.

Dr Sandra Cuthbert, FSANZ CEO, said the soybean was genetically modified to provide it with herbicide tolerance. If approved, food made from it could be imported into Australia and New Zealand in the form of soybean oil, milk, flour, meal, protein isolates and other processed products.

FSANZ’s safety assessment of the soybean considered the specific genetic modification process, the nutrient content compared to a non-GM food of its type and any potential allergic or toxic effects in humans.

“FSANZ found no potential public health and safety concerns with this GM soybean. It is as safe as non-GM soybean varieties,” Cuthbert said.

Safety assessments are a key part of the approval process for GM foods. To assist people in making informed choices, all food made from the soybean containing novel DNA and/or novel proteins would need to be labelled as “genetically modified”.

FSANZ approval will not permit the GM soybean to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. Importation of unprocessed, viable seeds or any cultivation requires 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 application, see the FSANZ call for comment page. Submissions close at 6 pm (AEDT) 11 December 2023.

Image credit: iStock.com/Drs Producoes