EFSA releases review of strategies for comprehensive GM plant evaluation

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reviewed the current scientific literature and risk assessment frameworks for food and feed safety of GM plants, in cases where the comparative approach as applied by EFSA may not be fully applicable. According to EFSA, this may be the case for the range of GM traits coming onto the market which have received substantial modifications to the endogenous composition, metabolism and physiology of the plant (GM plants with 'novel' traits).

EFSA defines GM plants with 'novel' traits' as plants which have undergone alterations to concentration of storage compounds or nutritional content; introduction of  'foreign' storage compound(s); physiological/ morphological change to plant; and alterations in metabolite concentrations to enable the plant to tolerate stresses.

The details can be found here.