ARE
THERE ANY HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH GENETIC MODIFICATION?
Determining with absolute certainty that genetic modification is
not associated with health risks will require even more scientific
studies, especially in the long term.
New technologies not only offer wide-ranging prospects, but sometimes
also have undesired or at least unintentional results. This also
applies to genetic modification. Especially in the debate on genetically
modified crops there is a strong emphasis on the possible risks
for food safety, and consequently for human health.
One of the possible consequences of genetic modification is the
unintentional introduction of poisonous substances and allergens.
The question is whether the risks involved are manageable.
Well, in principle it is technically more of a possibility compared
to the traditional evolutionary methods.
Moreover, European Union legislation specifies that genetically
modified foodstuffs can only be brought onto the market if they
carry a food safety certificate, so much so that producers are even
complaining that controls on GMOs are much more stringent than those
on traditional foodstuffs.
In order to limit possible risks in the future, legislation and
regulatory systems and techniques will have be adapted on a continuous
basis. |
