“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA’s job.”
– Philip Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications1 (the FDA is the US government’s Food and Drug Administration, responsible for food safety)
“Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety.”
– US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)2
“It is not foreseen that EFSA carry out such [safety] studies as the onus is on the [GM industry] applicant to demonstrate the safety of the GM product in question.”
– European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)3
Industry and some government sources claim that GM foods are strictly regulated for safety.4 But regulation varies from completely inadequate, as in the US, to weak, as in Europe and Australia/New Zealand. None of these systems are based on rigorous scientific standards and none are adequate to protect consumers’ health.
For a detailed discussion of GM food regulatory systems in the US and EU, please see GMO Myths and truths.
References:
1. Pollan M. Playing God in the garden. New York Times Magazine. 25 October 1998. http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/25/magazine/playing-god-in-the-garden.html
2. US Food and Drug Administration. Statement of policy: Foods derived from new plant varieties. FDA Federal Register. 29 May 1992; 57(104): 229.
3. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Frequently asked questions on EFSA GMO risk assessment. 15 May 2006.
4. European Commission. GMOs in a nutshell. 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/qanda/a1_en.print.htm
