1. Towards the global responsibility
How safe and sustainable the GM foods?
Towards the global responsibility
Klára Szita Tóth - László Tóth
University of Miskolc
http: / /
* This paper is part of results of T and T Hungarian Scientific Research Fund
EFLA CONGRESS September 19th – 20th 2002 Budapest, HUNGARY FOOD SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY THE CHALLENGES FOR THE EUROPEAN FOOD AUTHORITY THE ROLE OF SCIENCE THE FREE CIRCULATION OF FOODSTUFFS

2. State of art The GM foods are products of biotechnology.
The first Genetically Modified (GM) Crops have been put on the market in the mid-nineties – today novel foods ???
The biotechnology means new ways in the production, new possibilities of food safety and food security. It offers the potential for more environmentally friendly agriculture; it results revolutionary change in people’s lives.
New technologies have get some risks also and these raise host ethical and political issues.

3. Figure 1 The sharing of identified risks
The identified risks
Source: ICGB Biosafety News 2001

4. 10th GIN Conference, Göteborg, June 23-26, 2002
Models of share of responsibility Food Safety Regulation Policies
Europe (EU)
· Developed a de facto policy on food safety
Relatively weak controls at the centre
EU regulatory system had deficiencies in independent regulator
"European Food Authority”- "from farm to table."
America (U.S.)
Lead agency in the regulation of food safety is FDA - no political pressures
Standards for meat and poultry –USDA
regulating pesticides is EPA
Monitoring foodborne illnesses - CDC
10th GIN Conference, Göteborg, June 23-26, 2002

5. Biotechnological activity in CEE
Registered gene laboratories in Hungary:
HAS Research Centre of Biology, Szeged
Bay Zoltán Applied Research Foundation Institute of Biotechnology, Szeged
Centre of Agricultural Biotechnology Research, Gödöllő
Cereal Research Institute, Szeged
Agriculture University Department of Genomic and Plantresearch,, Gödöllő
Fruit Research Laboratory, Fertőd HAS Agricultural Research Institute, Martonvásár
Registered gene laboratories
High-level researches (Hungary)
Applied experiments in plant production
Laws – since 1994 BINAP and UNEP assists - „Act XXVII of 1998 on Biotechnology Activities” (HU),
Debates: researchers --NGO, ETK Nature Conservation Club
Surveys ( Universities, NGOs, other research)

6. Hungarian survey – opinion about GM research, 2001
1 New pharmaceuticals, medicines and vaccines for humans
2 Prevention of human disease though genetic screening or gene therapy
3 Hardier crops that allow for reduced use of agricultural chemicals and water
4 Food products that benefit consumers in terms of nutrition value, shelf life or cost
5 Livestock that grow faster or produce higher yields
6 Use of animals as "bioreactors" to produce various products
7 Cloning of livestock and laboratory animals
8 Use of crop plants to produce industrial chemicals and other raw materials
9 Use of bio-organisms to consume hazardous waste and clean up spills
10 Use of biotechnology in non food related industrial application
11 Genetic alterations to enhance physical, intellectual and behavioural characteristics of humans
12 Genetically derived sources of energy
1 good –accepted very bad
Figure 5

7. Figure 7 Hungarian survay - Evaluation of Institutional Responsibility
1 very bad
5 very good
No of answering
Figure 7

8. Need steps for food safety and sustainability
international agreement in policy of GM food
harmonised science-based regulation legislation in US and EU, which the leader actors, and on national level
to develop the best practices,
review of permits after 5 or 10 years (extended risk assessment, also looking into indirect effects, especially of the long term impacts,
post-market monitoring of effects,
up to date information for experts and public,
clear principles in labelling

9. The International level of regulation (US - EU and debates)
America (U.S.) Europe (EU)
Regulatory authorities make their determinants solely based on scientific risk assessments and fallow for a great deal of industry self regulation.
The FDA decided - GM foods were not meaning fully different than regular foods, based on the health risks of the individual products, not the process by which it is produced.
Companies are not required to obtain prior government approval to market GM crops.
The majority of Europeans have been hesitant to accept the „novel foods”.
In densely populated Europe farms are much closer to nature reserves, potentially posing a greater threat to the natural environment.

10. America (U.S.) Europe (EU)
In 1992 the FDA ruled that no labelling was required for GM foods.
Relative lack of US consumer – anxiety over GM foods.
threshold effectively requires the segregation.
By the US, this Europe’s attitude toward GM foods is the „single greatest trade threat” to US agricultural export.
EU regulation focus on the process by which they are produced,
State approval before a GM crop variety may even be planted.
regulation mandating the labelling
(January 2000, the EU set the labelling threshold at one percent of the crop.)
EU has maintained a de facto moratorium on the approval of new GM varieties;