June 11, 2002 -- The science needed for government regulators to assess allergies in genetically modified (GM) foods could be greatly improved,
according to a new report issued from the Pew Initiative on Food and
Biotechnology.

The report found that nine federal agencies or institutes currently
supervise 33 food allergy research projects totaling between $4.2 and $7 million, but that those funds are spread thin and with little coordination among federal agencies or between research teams. Moreover, the study found that the existing research focuses on known allergens such as peanuts and milk, and that almost no studies examine the allergenicity of novel proteins potentially introduced by foods created through biotechnology.

As many as 10 million Americans are estimated to have allergies to one or more foods, and for them, reactions to those foods can result in illness or even death. GM foods currently on the market have been screened for possible allergenicity problems. But some new GM foods may be difficult to judge with current science, as illustrated recently in the case of StarLink, a type of genetically modified corn that was approved for use only in animal feed because it could not be shown that the new protein in the corn was not an allergen.

"Almost two years ago, Starlink accidentally made its way into the human food supply," says Michael Rodemeyer, executive director of the Pew Initiative. "After massive consumer product recalls, lawsuits, buybacks from farmers and a disruption to American farm export markets that continues today, we still lack answers to the basic science questions posed by government regulators whether StarLink was or was not an allergen," he said. "Was the Starlink recall even necessary for allergy reasons? We just don’t know.

"Unfortunately, this lack of scientific knowledge is hindering both the government as well as the private sector - we need to invest in the science to give regulators the tools and information they need to evaluate new products and protect the public," he says.