FSANZ calls for comment on GM corn

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

FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said corn line DP910521 has been genetically modified to provide it with herbicide tolerance and protection from insect pests.

Food made from this GM corn could be imported into Australia and New Zealand in the form of starch, grits, meal, flour, oil and sweetener if approved.

Safety assessments are a key part of the approval process for GM foods.

According to Cuthbert, FSANZ’s safety assessment considered the specific genetic modification process, the nutrient content compared to non-GM corn and any potential allergic or toxic effects.

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

Food made from this corn would need to be labelled as “genetically modified” as novel DNA and/or novel proteins were contained in the final food.

FSANZ’s approval would not permit the GM corn to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. This would require separate regulatory assessment and approval by the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia and the Environmental Protection Authority in New Zealand.

Submissions close at 6:00 pm AEDT 5 March 2024.

Image credit: iStock.com/Vitalii Petrushenko