GENETIC ENGEENEERING (GE) FOODS

GENETIC ENGEENEERING (GE) FOODS MGM4136

CARTAGENA PROTOCOL • MALAYSIA SIGNED CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY IN 2000 TO ADOPT REGULATION THAT WILL SCRUTINSE MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES . • SIGNED BY OTHER 157 COUNTRIES • COUNTRIES’ AIM- TO ADOPT A BIOSAFETY LAWS • US DID NOT SIGN ALTHOUGH US IS THE BIGGEST GM PRODUCER

BIOSAFTEY ACT 2007 • ENACTED BY THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY • RELATIONS RELATED TO PRACTICES IN PLANTING GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM), PR GENETICALLY ENGINEERING (GE) CROPS, IMPORTING GM PRODUCTS AS ANIMAL FEEDS, FOOD OR FOR PROCESSING

NATIONAL BIOSAFETY BOARD • THE ACT PROVIDES FOR THE FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL BIOSAFETY BOARD • COMPRISES OF MULTI AGENCY BOARD CHAIRED BY THE MINISTRY, MEMBERS INCLUDING GENETIC MODIFICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GMAC)

ISSUES • ALTHOUGH THE ACT WAS TABLED IN PARLIAMENT IN 2006, FURTHER READING WAS BLOCKED • PRESSURE FROM US BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANISATION WHO CALLED ON TO REJECT MANDOTRY LABELLING IN THE US-MALAYSIA FREE TRDE AGREEMENT (FTA), CLAIMING LABELLING IS TANTAMOUNT TO TRADE BARRIER • HOWEVER WITHOUT THE LAW, ACTUAL SITUATIONS MAY NOT BE UNDERCONTROL BY THE GOVERNMENT

FOR OR AGAINST GMOs ? • SAFETY ISSUES SURROUNDING GENITICALLY MODIFED ORGANISAMS (GMOs) ARE INCONCLUSIVE

IMPORTANCE OF GM PRODUCTS • CAN ALLEVIATE POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD • TO FEED GROWING POPULATION GLOBALLY • THEREFORE; • 800 MILLION HA. OF LAND HAVE BEEN PLANTED WITH GM CROPS • BY 2015 40 COUNTRIES TO ADOPT GM TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL MARKET SHARE OF GM PRODUCTS (FROM ISAAA)

HOWEVER, ISSUES ARE • IN 2005, A STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF URBINO, ITALY DISCOVERED THAT ABSORPTION OF TRANSGENIC SOYA BY MICE INDUCES MODIFICAITONS IN THE NUCLEI OF THEIR LIVER CELLS • IN 2007, A STUDY IN FRANCE; LIVER AND KIDNEYS OF RATS FED WITH MON863 BT MAIZE SHOWED SIGHSN OF TOXICITY AND WEIGHT GAINED BETWEEN SEXES • IN 2007, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE (US) CALLED FOR ABOLISHMENT OF GM FOODS AS THEY POSE A SERIOUS HELTH RISKS; TOXICOLOGY, ALLEGY AND IMMUNE FUNCTION, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND METABOLIC, PHYSIOLOGIC AND GENETIC RISKS

THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE GM MAIZE WAS SAFE FOR HUMAN AND ANIMALS CONSUMPTION

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH INTERNATIONAL- • SAID THAT ONLY 114 MILLION HA OR 2.4 % OF GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL LAND WAS CULTIVATED WITH GM CROPS • MOST GM CROPS ARE GROWN TO FEED ANIMALS, BUT NOT THE POOR • MOST GM CROPS ARE PLANTED IN BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND THE UNITED STATES • US-BASED BIOTECH COMPANIES PROFITED FROM PATENTS, EXPENSIVE GM SEEDS AND INCREASED PESTICIDE SALES

IN MALAYSIA • GM TECHNOLOGY IS LEAD BY MARDI IN PLANTING PAPAYA, PINEAPPLE, AND RICE • ACCORDING TO MARDI, CRITICISM TO GM CROPS IS NOT FAIR • MOST MALAYSIAN HOWEVER ARE NOT AWARE THAT THEY CONSUMED GE FOODS DUE TO NO LABELLING.

LABELLING • MOST MALAYSIAN HOWEVER ARE NOT AWARE THAT THEY CONSUMED GE FOODS DUE TO NO LABELLING. • SAHABAT ALAM MALAYSIA (SAM) SUPPORT LABELING OF GE FOODS SO THAT CONSUMER CAN MAKE THEIR CHOICE

GM PRODUCTS MONITORING IN MALAYSIA • CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT MONITORS GMOa in foods • From 2003 to 2008, data shows that 49 out of 871 samples analysed contained GMO had been approved

GENETIC ENGEENEERING (GE) FOODS