Australasian Biotechnology,
Volume 7 Number 1, January/February 1997, pp. 24
Feedback needed on new gene tech regulations
David Tribe, Melbourne
Code Number: AU97005
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ANZFA (Australia New Zealand Food Authority) has recently issued an
information paper on their proposed new regulations concerning "Foods
Derived from Gene Technology". There is one puzzling feature of their draft
proposal. "Gene technology" is specifically defined in their documents so
as to exclude the products of hybridisation, protoplast fusion and
mutagenic techniques from being regulated. Since their draft paper mentions
worries about introduction of new allergens into foods as a significant
concern, and since such allergy problems could well result from protoplast
based crosses (of wild grass genomes with cereal crops for instance) one is
left wondering about the seriousness and logic of the arguments about
allergenicity contained in the ANZFA proposals.
Copyright 1997 Australian Biotechnology Association Ltd.
