EFSA GMO Watch – August 2011

News

Testbiotech and GeneWatch, UK filed a formal request for an internal review of the EU Commission´s decision according Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No. 1367/2006 to withdraw market authorisation for maize MON89034XMON88017 (http://www.testbiotech.de/node/526).

New opinions and guidance

EFSA published its opinions on food and feed for

• Soybean MON87701 (Monsanto, produces the insecticidal protein Cry1Ac), http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2309.htm
• Soybean 356043 (Pioneer, herbicide tolerance to glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting herbicides)
  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2310.htm

Both crops inherit unintended changes in plant compounds. See media release Testbiotech http://www.testbiotech.org/en/node/531. Comments can be sent to the following address until 27 August 2011: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/gmo_authorisation_en.htm

Further, EFSA has published new guidance for the post market monitoring of environmental risks http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/2316.pdf. According to a letter from the Commission of 5 July, the new guidance will be used to update and effect EFSA´s opinion issued for the following applications relevant to the cultivation of genetically engineered plants:
Maize 1507, maize Bt11, soybean 40-3-2, sugarbeet H7-1. Publication will be within the next few weeks (see last EFSA-GMO_Newsletter).

New consultations:

EFSA launched a call for comments on risk assessment of food and feed from genetically modified animals including animal health and welfare aspects: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/110810.htm