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.

Image credit: iStock.com/stevanovicigor