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.: Link to food biotechnology website :. |
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Biotech's
Next Harvest Aims to Win Consumers -
Researchers explore
second-generation GM crops, which offer benefits to both food processors and
consumers.
Combining multiple
viewpoints on genetically modified foods
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Worldwide, the production
and consumption of foods derived from genetically modified crops (GM crops)
is rising rapidly. However, in Europe only 58.000 hectares are planted with
one GM crop (insect-protected maize in Spain).
Genetically Modified
Foods - the Debate Moves Ahead
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The debate over
genetically modified (GM) foods has been going on for some years now, with
much of the discussion centered on whether or not these foods are safe to
eat. Thanks to scientific research, improved understanding of the technology
and new regulations, most parties involved in the GM debate now agree that
the food and food ingredients derived from currently available genetically
modified crops are not likely to present a risk for human health.
What We
Can Learn From Weeds
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Plant improvement depends on recognizing and combining
particular sets of genes. A multinational genome project to identify
important plant genes, focusing on the model species Arabidopsis thaliana is
nearing completion.
Genes in
the Spotlight
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The recent spotlight on genetically modified foods and public
attitudes towards them has revealed some fundamental misunderstandings about
what genes are and what they do.
Segregation of Genetically Modified and Non-Genetically Modified Foods -
Concerns
arising in Europe from a lack of consumer choice between GM and non-GM foods
may be alleviated by clearer regulations and new methods of detection.
Genomics
and Food Production -
The ability to decipher the genetic code of living organisms,
DNA sequencing, is a revolution in biology. Many of the tools, technologies
and techniques involved are beginning to be applied to other areas of
biotechnology, particularly those affecting the food chain. What is in the Food Biotechnology Pipeline? - Several crop plants have been enhanced by genetic modification and so far the modifications that have worked best have been the simplest; those that can be accomplished by introducing just one gene into a plant with minimal effects on its physiology. Many more candidates await introduction and as techniques improve, more ambitious modifications may become reality. http://www.eufic.org/gb/food/pag/food11/food112.htm
Genetic modification: adapting vegetable oils to suit our needs - Genetic modification now makes it possible to improve the composition and properties of oils from different plants far more quickly and precisely than with traditional breeding techniques. http://www.eufic.org/gb/food/pag/food07/food071.htm
GM Foods – Beginning with Louis Pasteur's work with wine, modern food science and technology has made enormous contributions to the safety and availability of food. However, recent developments in the field, while offering to extend this progress, have posed concerns, both real and perceived, about the safety of these technologies. Member States, especially developing ones, increasingly look to WHO to provide sound and unbiased advice on the safety of GM foods. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/biotech/en/
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