GM foods must be as safe as conventional plant foods: FDA official

Kolkata, Sep 8 (IANS) Food from genetically engineered plants must be as safe as food from conventional plant sources, an official of the US Food and Drug Administration said here.

"We have to ensure nutrients are the same. All foods also have anti nutrients. We make sure anti-nutrients do not increase in the final product. Food from genetically engineered plants must be as safe as food from conventional plants," Carrie McMahon, Consumer Safety Officer at the Office of Food Additive Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration told the media here.

She was speaking at a discussion on the global status of biotechnology and regulatory affairs in the US, Bangladesh and Vietnam on Wednesday evening.

Elaborating on the implications of introduction of genetically modified plants or GMO crops, molecular biologist Julian Adams pointed out GM crops is one of the options available to deal with climate change and population growth.

"GM crops aren't 'the' answer to climate change but they are one of the answers... one of the armaments that we can use ... facing the issues of climate change, population growth, to deal with food security and hunger... we need a worldwide collaboration," Adams said.