The FDA has ordered the destruction of soybeans contaminated with unapproved GM traces, adding to a controversy that affects almost all the food industry, from seed companies to consumers. Inconsistent global regulation is further fueling the debate, and the consequences. Financial stakes are high and passions higher. With no middle ground between opinions, regulators are left playing a vital but difficult role.
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The FDA has ordered biotech company Prodigene to destroy 500,000 bushels of soybeans worth US$2.7m. Around 65 grams of genetically modified (GM) corn stalks with proteins not approved for human consumption were found to have contaminated the soybeans. The beans were grown in a field that had previously been planted with the GM corn.
Sixty-five grams may seem a paltry amount on which to condemn half a million bushels of soybeans, but stiff opposition to GM crops has brought rigorous regulation in the US and worldwide.
For example, supplies of US soybeans to China, worth around $1bn a year, were thrown into confusion earlier this year when Beijing changed its rules on GM organisms. Around 70% of US soybeans are genetically modified, but under the new rules safety certificates must accompany all GM imports.
By far the toughest environment for GM products is the EU, where they are often known as ‘Frankenfoods’. Regulatory issues came to a head in July, when the European parliament decreed strict labelling laws requiring all foods containing over 0.5% of GM ingredients to be clearly labelled.
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By GlobalDataOn one side of the debate, consumer activists are concerned about the unknown side effects of GM crops. They highlight potential health problems and the danger of GM crops cross breeding with natural plants. On the other side, the multinational corporations that have invested billions developing GM crops are convinced they are safe, and say the benefits are being ignored.
Genetically modified crops are one of the key battlegrounds on which the future of the food industry will be decided, and opinions are still hopelessly polarised – leaving regulators such as the FDA left to police the divide. Until that gap is closed by workable legislation, companies like Prodigene – and the manufacturers and retailers it supplies – will find themselves constantly running the risk of expensive mistakes.
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