Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) - Call for comment on a new type of genetically modified corn MON95379

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to allow the sale and use of food made from a genetically modified (GM) corn.

FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said corn line MON95379 was genetically modified to protect it from insect pests.

“If approved, food made from this type of GM corn could be imported into Australia and New Zealand in the form of starch, grits, meal, flour, oil and sweetener," Dr Cuthbert said.

“Our safety assessment found no potential public health and safety concerns with this variety of GM corn. It is as safe as non-GM corn varieties."

A safety assessment is a critical part of the approval process for all GM applications. The safety assessment considers the specific genetic modification process, potential unintended changes, the nutritional content compared to a non-GM food of its type and any potential allergic or toxic effects in humans.

To help people make informed choices, food made from this corn would need to be labelled as 'genetically modified' if there was any novel DNA and/or novel proteins in the final food.

The approval would not allow the GM corn to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. Cultivation and whole food containing viable seeds (e.g. corn cobs) would require separate regulatory assessment and approval by the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia and the Environmental Protection Authority in New Zealand.

To have your say, see the call for comment page. Submissions closes at 6pm (Canberra time) on 1 November 2021.