Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the sale and use of food made from a new genetically modified (GM) soybean.
FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said soybean line MON94313 was genetically modified to provide it with herbicide tolerance.
"If approved, food made from this type of GM soybean could be imported into Australia and New Zealand in the form of soybean oil, milk, flour, meal, protein isolates and other processed products," Dr Cuthbert said.
"Our safety assessment considered the specific genetic modification process, the nutrient content compared to a non-GM food of its type, and any potential allergic or toxic effects in humans.
"FSANZ found no potential public health and safety concerns with this GM soybean. It is as safe as non-GM soybean varieties."
Safety assessments are a key part of the approval process for all GM foods. To help people make informed choices, food made from this soybean would need to be labelled as 'genetically modified' if novel DNA and/or novel proteins were contained in the final food.
FSANZ's approval would not permit the GM soybean to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. Importation of unprocessed viable soybean seeds or any cultivation 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 about this application, see our call for comment page. Submissions close at 6pm (AEDT) 11 December 2023.
What happens to my feedback?
Submissions will be published to our website as soon as possible at the end of the public comment period.
FSANZ will consider all feedback received through this submission process before deciding on whether to approve the application.
FSANZ's decision will be notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.
