Food safety and quality
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OECD Unique Identifier details

SYN-IR1Ø2-7
Commodity: Cotton
Traits: Lepidoptera resistance
Argentina
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Agro S.A.
Summary of application:

The modification introduced in the COT102 cotton provides protection against the attack of certain lepidopteran insect pests, thanks to the expression of the Vip3Aa19 protein. The event also expresses, and at very low levels, the APH4 protein, which was used as a selection marker during the development process of the event and does not grant any characteristic of agronomic or productive interest.

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Date of authorization: 05/08/2016
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
• Inheritance studies conducted indicated that Mendelian segregation exists. • New expression proteins are expressed in low levels. • It is compositionally equivalent to its non-transgenic counterpart. • No evidence of similarity or homology was found with known toxic proteins. • There is no evidence of expression of known allergenic substances for the proteins expressed in the event. It is concluded that the event is substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart, therefore, it is as safe and no less nutritious than conventional commercial varieties.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: GMO commercial approvals in Argentina
GMO approvals for food/feed
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministerio de Agroindustria
Contact person name:
Andrés Maggi
Website:
Physical full address:
Paseo Colón Avenue 367, 3° floor, City of Buenos Aires
Phone number:
54 11 5222 5986
Fax number:
Country introduction:

In Argentina, the food and feed risk assessment process of transformation events, as the result of modern biotechnology, is carried out by the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (Senasa). The General Office of Biotechnology, is the area responsible for carrying out this task. It has an specific professional team and the advise of a Technical Advisory Committee composed of experts from several scientific disciplines representing different sectors involved in the production, industrialization, consumption, research and development of genetically modified organisms.

Useful links
Relevant documents
Stacked events:

Stacked events with all single events approved, are assessed as a new event, but with much less requirements, always on a case-by-case basis.

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (Senasa)

https://www.argentina.gob.ar/senasa

 

https://www.argentina.gob.ar/senasa/programas-sanitarios/biotecnologia

Australia
Name of product applicant: Syngenta
Summary of application:
Cotton line COT102 has been genetically modified for protection against cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and native budworm (H. punctigera), two significant pests of cotton crops in Australia. Protection is conferred by the expression in the plant of a bacterially derived protein toxin (a Bt-toxin) that is specific for these two insects. This protein is known as the vegetative insecticidal protein 3A (VIP3A) and is encoded by the vip3A gene. The vip3A gene in COT102 is a synthetic version of the vip3A gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki. The VIP3A protein is an exotoxin and is structurally, functionally and biochemically distinct from the Bt delta endotoxins (or Cry proteins), which have been widely used in other insect protected crops.

Cotton line COT102 also contains the hygromycin resistance gene, hph, from Escherichia coli, expressing the enzyme hygromycin B phosphotransferase (APH4), which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin.

Cottonseed is processed into four major by-products: oil, meal, hulls and linters. Only the oil and the linters are used in food products. Cottonseed oil is used in a variety of food including cooking, salad and frying oils: mayonnaise, salad dressing, shortening, margarine and packaging oils. Cotton linters are used as a cellulose base in high fibre dietary products as well as viscosity enhancers in toothpaste, ice cream and salad dressing. Cottonseed meal is primarily used for stock food, is not currently sold for human consumption in Australia or New Zealand.

Cotton line COT102 is being developed for cultivation in Australia. It is intended that cotton line COT102 will be used in conventional breeding programs to produce cotton hybrids tolerant to cotton bollworm and native budworm. In addition, an application to permit the use of cotton line COT102 for food and feed use has been submitted in the United States. If approved, food from cotton line COT102 may therefore enter the Australian and New Zealand food supply as both domestic and imported food products.
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Date of authorization: 17/02/2005
Scope of authorization: Food
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.): OECD BioTrack Product Database
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: Application A509 - Food derived from Insect Protected Cotton Line COT102
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Contact person name:
Website:
Physical full address:
Level 4, 15 Lancaster Place, Majura Park ACT 2609, Australia
Phone number:
+61 2 6271 2222
Fax number:
+61 2 6271 2278
Country introduction:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the regulatory agency responsible for the development of food standards in Australia and New Zealand. The main office (approximately 115 staff) is located in Canberra (in the Australian Capital Territory) and the smaller New Zealand office (approximately 10 staff) is located in Wellington on the North Island.

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Relevant documents
Stacked events:

FSANZ does not: Separately assess food from stacked event lines where food from the GM parents has already been approved; Mandate notification of stacked events by developers; Notify the public of stacked event ‘approvals’; List food derived from stacked event lines in the Code, unless the stacked event line has been separately assessed as a single line e.g. Application A518: MXB-13 cotton (DAS-21023-5 x DAS-24236-5)

No separate approval or safety assessment is necessary for foods derived from a stacked GM line that is the result of traditional breeding between a number of GM parent lines for which food has already been approved. Food from the parent lines must be listed in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The parent lines may contain any number of different genes. If food from any of the GM parent lines has not been approved, then a full pre-market safety assessment of food from the stacked line must be undertaken.

No separate approval is required for food derived from a line that is the product of a GM line, for which food has been approved, crossed traditionally with a non-GM line.

Where a single line containing a number of genes has been produced as a result of direct gene technology methods (rather than traditional crossing) then food derived from the line must undergo a full pre-market safety assessment before approval can be given

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) (http://www.foodstandards.gov.au)

Canada
Name of product applicant: Sygenta Seeds Canada Inc.
Summary of application:
Cotton line COT 102 was genetically modified using recombinant DNA techniques to introduce the coding sequence (vip3a) for the Vegetative Insecticidal Protein 3A (VIP3A) derived from the common soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis sp. strain AB88. VIP3A is an insecticidal enzyme effective against lepidopteran pests. This cotton line was also modified through in the introduction of the coding sequence for the antibiotic resistance gene hygromycin B phosphotransferase (aph4) derived from E.coli strain K12. This gene was introduced to act as a selectable marker.

The assessment conducted by Food Directorate evaluators assessed how Insect Resistant Cotton COT102 was developed; how its composition and nutritional quality compares to traditional cotton varieties; and the potential for the presence of any toxicants, anti-nutrients, or allergens. Syngenta has provided data which demonstrates that Insect Resistant Cotton COT102 is as safe and nutritious as conventional cotton varieties sold in Canada.

The Food Program has a legislated responsibility for pre-market assessment of novel foods and novel food ingredients as detailed in the Food and Drug Regulations (Division 28). Food use of Insect Resistant Cotton COT102 is considered a novel food under the following part of the definition of novel foods: "c) a food that is derived from a plant, animal or microorganism that has been genetically modified such that

(i) the plant, animal or microorganism exhibits characteristics that were not previously observed in that plant, animal or microorganism"

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Date of authorization: 13/04/2011
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.): BioTrack Product Database
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Please see decision document weblinks
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: Novel Foods Decision
Novel Feeds Decision
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Health Canada
Contact person name:
Neil Strand
Website:
Physical full address:
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, PL 2204A1
Phone number:
613-946-1317
Fax number:
Country introduction:

Federal responsibility for the regulations dealing with foods sold in Canada, including novel foods, is shared by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Health Canada is responsible for establishing standards and policies governing the safety and nutritional quality of foods and developing labelling policies related to health and nutrition. The CFIA develops standards related to the packaging, labelling and advertising of foods, and handles all inspection and enforcement duties. The CFIA also has responsibility for the regulation of seeds, veterinary biologics, fertilizers and livestock feeds. More specifically, CFIA is responsible for the regulations and guidelines dealing with cultivating plants with novel traits and dealing with livestock feeds and for conducting the respective safety assessments, whereas Health Canada is responsible for the regulations and guidelines pertaining to novel foods and for conducting safety assessments of novel foods.

The mechanism by which Health Canada controls the sale of novel foods in Canada is the mandatory pre-market notification requirement as set out in Division 28 of Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations.

Manufacturers or importers are required under these regulations to submit information to Health Canada regarding the product in question so that a determination can be made with respect to the product's safety prior to sale. The safety criteria for the assessment of novel foods outlined in the current guidance document (i.e. Canadian Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods) were derived from internationally established scientific principles and guidelines developed through the work of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. These guidelines provide for both the rigour and the flexibility required to determine the need for notification and to conduct the safety assessment of the broad range of food products being developed. This flexibility is needed to allow novel foods and food products to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and to take into consideration future scientific advances.

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Relevant documents
Stacked events:

Food: Consistent with the definition of "novel food" in Division 28 of the Food and Drug Regulations, the progeny derived from the conventional breeding of approved genetically modified plants (one or both parents are genetically modified) would not be classified as a novel food unless some form of novelty was introduced into such progeny as a result of the cross, hence triggering the requirement for pre-market notification under Division 28. For example, notification may be required for modifications observed in the progeny that result in a change of existing characteristics of the plant that places those characteristics outside of the accepted range, or, that introduce new characteristics not previously observed in that plant (e.g. a major change has occurred in the expression levels of traits when stacked). In addition, the use of a wild species (interspecific cross) not having a history of safe use in the food supply in the development of a new plant line may also require notification to Health Canada. However, molecular stacks are considered new events and are considered to be notifiable as per Division 28.

Feed:

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Neil Strand, Section Head of Novel Foods

Colombia
Name of product applicant: SYNGENTA
Summary of application:

Authorization of the genetically modified cotton COT102 resistant to lepidoptera pest attack

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Date of authorization: 27/01/2016
Scope of authorization: Food
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Based on the risk assessment, it can be concluded that the event shows the same risks as its conventional counterpart. Therefore the National Technical Biosafety Committee for GMO use exclusively in Health and human consumption (CTNSalud) recommends its authorization.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministerio de salud y proteccion social
Contact person name:
Daniel Rubio
Website:
Physical full address:
Carrera 13 No. 32- 76 piso 12, Bogotá
Phone number:
330 5000 ext 1256
Fax number:
Country introduction:

The 4525 decree of 2005, established the Ministry of Health and Social Protection as the competent authority for GMO for health and food purposes and creates the National Biosafety Technical Committee for GMO's used in health and food purposes (CTNSalud).

The CTNSalud is composed by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute (INVIMA) and the Technology and Innovation Administrative Department (COLCIENCIAS). This committee is responsible for the assesment of risk assessments; to inquire for any additional information; assessment of any measurements in accordance to the Cartagena Protocol; and the recommendation for the authorization of GMO for health or food purposes.

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Relevant documents
Stacked events:
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
Japan
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Seeds K.K.
Summary of application:

Cotton line COT 102 is genetically modified to be resistant to Lepidoptera pests through introduction of the vip3A(a) gene (Modified vip3A, Gossypium hirsutum L.).

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Date of authorization: 19/07/2012
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.): OECD BioTrack Product Database
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Please see the links below (in Japanese).
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: Food safety assessment performed by Food Safety Commission of Japan (in Japanese), Food
Food safety assessment performed by Food Safety Commission of Japan (in Japanese), Feed
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Food Safety Commission Secretariat,Cabinet Office,
Contact person name:
Kojiro Yokonuma
Website:
Physical full address:
Akasaka 5-2-20 Minato Ward,Tokyo,Japan
Phone number:
81 3 6234 1122
Fax number:
81 3 3584 7392
Country introduction:
Safety assessments of GM foods are mandatory under the Food Sanitation Law in Japan. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) legally imposes safety assessments of GM foods so that those that have not undergone safety assessments would not be distributed in the country. MHLW receives application and requests the Food Safety COmmission of Japan (FSCJ) to evaluate the safety of GM foods in terms of human health. Safety assessments are carried out by FSCJ.
Useful links
Relevant documents
Stacked events:

With regard to stacked events, FSCJ conducts the safety assessment of GM food based on the “Policies Regarding the Safety Assessment of Stacked Varieties of Genetically Modified Plants”.

Even if single events that are stacked have already approved, some products will be considered as new products and some will not.

Please refer to Article 5 and 6 of the MHLW’s notice, which is available at the following URL, for the details.

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11130500-Shokuhinanzenbu/0000053519.pdf

Article 6 was modified in 2014, and the modified version is available at the following URL.

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11130500-Shokuhinanzenbu/0000049695.pdf

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Food Safety Commission of Japan (http://www.fsc.go.jp/english/index.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/food/index.html)

Mexico
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Seeds, Inc.
Summary of application:

Authorization by COFEPRIS: 69


Cotton line COT 102 is genetically modified to be resistant to Lepidoptera pests through introduction of the vip3A(a) gene (Modified vip3A, Gossypium hirsutum L.).

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Date of authorization: 20/01/2010
Scope of authorization: Food
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
UI OECD: SYN-IR1Ø2-7 During the risk assessment of this GMO based on existing knowledge to date, no toxic or allergic effects neither substantial nutritional changes are observed. The event is as safe as its conventional counterpart. For more detail please find attached the risk assessment summary in this page.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
CIBIOGEM
Contact person name:
Dra. Consuelo López López
Website:
Physical full address:
San Borja #938, Col. Del Valle • Del. Benito Juárez C.P. 03100, México, D.F.
Phone number:
+52 (55) 53227700
Fax number:
Country introduction:

México ha buscado garantizar la inocuidad de los productos biotecnológicos para el uso y consumo de su población.

Desde 1984 el artículo 282 bis 1 de la Ley General de Salud, contempló que la Secretaría de Salud debería regular aquellos productos biotecnológicos, o sus derivados, destinados al uso o consumo humano.

En un inicio, con fundamento en este artículo, la Secretaria de Salud evaluó la inocuidad alimentaria de productos biotecnológicos, para su comercialización con fines de uso o consumo humano. A partir de 2005, con la entrada en vigor de la Ley de Bioseguridad de Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (LBOGM), se realizó la adecuación de la regulación para dar lugar a la Autorización que es el acto administrativo mediante el cual la Secretaría de Salud, a través de la Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS), autoriza Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (OGMs), a efecto de que se pueda realizar su comercialización, así como su utilización con finalidades de Salud Pública o de Biorremediación.

Las facultades que corresponden a la Secretaría de Salud se estipulan en el artículo 16 de la LBOGM y lo relativo a la Autorizaciones se describe en los artículos 91 al 98 de dicha Ley.

Quienes pretendan obtener una Autorización para Comercialización e Importación de OGMs deben presentar ante COFEPRIS, una solicitud por escrito acompañada de la información a que se refiere los artículos 23 al 32 del Reglamento de la Ley de Bioseguridad de OGMs.

http://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/normatividad/vigente/LBOGM.pdf

http://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/normatividad/vigente/Reg_LBOGM.pdf

 

Courtesy translation

Mexico has sought to guarantee the safety of biotechnological products the use and consumption of its population. Since 1984, article 282 bis 1 from the General Law of Health, considered that the Secretary of Health should regulate those biotechnological products, or their derivatives, intended for food and feed use. Initially, the Secretary of Health evaluated the food safety of biotechnological products, based on this article, for commercialization with purposes of food, feed and processing. Subsequently in 2005, with the entry into force of the Law on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms (LBOGM), the regulation was adapted to give rise to the Authorization, which is the administrative act through which the Secretary of Health, by means of the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), authorizes Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), to their commercialization, as well as their use for purposes of public health or bioremediation.

The faculties that correspond to the Secretary of Health are stipulated in Article 16 of the LBOGM and what is related to the Authorizations is described in Articles 91 to 98 of this Law. Those who seek to obtain an Authorization for GMOs merchandising and importation, must present to COFEPRIS, a written request accompanied by the information referred into articles 23 to 32 of the Regulation of the Law on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms.

http://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/normatividad/vigente/LBOGM.pdf

http://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/normatividad/vigente/Reg_LBOGM.pdf

Useful links
Relevant documents
Stacked events:
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Secretaría de Salud / Teléfono: +52 55 5080 5200 / Correo electrónico: [email protected]%20

New Zealand
Name of product applicant: Syngenta
Summary of application:

Cotton line COT102 has been genetically modified for protection against cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and native budworm (H. punctigera), two significant pests of cotton crops in Australia. Protection is conferred by the expression in the plant of a bacterially derived protein toxin (a Bt-toxin) that is specific for these two insects. This protein is known as the vegetative insecticidal protein 3A (VIP3A) and is encoded by the vip3A gene. The vip3A gene in COT102 is a synthetic version of the vip3A gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki. The VIP3A protein is an exotoxin and is structurally, functionally and biochemically distinct from the Bt delta endotoxins (or Cry proteins), which have been widely used in other insect protected crops.

Cotton line COT102 also contains the hygromycin resistance gene, hph, from Escherichia coli, expressing the enzyme hygromycin B phosphotransferase (APH4), which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin.

Cottonseed is processed into four major by-products: oil, meal, hulls and linters. Only the oil and the linters are used in food products. Cottonseed oil is used in a variety of food including cooking, salad and frying oils: mayonnaise, salad dressing, shortening, margarine and packaging oils. Cotton linters are used as a cellulose base in high fibre dietary products as well as viscosity enhancers in toothpaste, ice cream and salad dressing. Cottonseed meal is primarily used for stock food, is not currently sold for human consumption in Australia or New Zealand.

Cotton line COT102 is being developed for cultivation in Australia. It is intended that cotton line COT102 will be used in conventional breeding programs to produce cotton hybrids tolerant to cotton bollworm and native budworm. In addition, an application to permit the use of cotton line COT102 for food and feed use has been submitted in the United States. If approved, food from cotton line COT102 may therefore enter the Australian and New Zealand food supply as both domestic and imported food products.

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Date of authorization: 12/05/2005
Scope of authorization: Food
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.): OECD BioTrack Product Database
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
FSANZ has completed a comprehensive safety assessment of food derived from cotton line COT102. The assessment included consideration of: (i) the genetic modification to the plant; (ii) the safety of any transferred antibiotic resistance genes; (iii) the potential toxicity and allergenicity of any new proteins; and (iv) the composition and nutritional adequacy of the food, including whether there had been any unintended changes. No potential public health and safety concerns were identified in the assessment of food derived from cotton line COT102. Therefore, on the basis of all the available evidence, including detailed studies provided by the applicant, it has been concluded that food derived from cotton line COT102 is as safe and wholesome as food derived from other cotton varieties.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: Application A509 - Food derived from Insect Protected Cotton Line COT102
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministry for Primary Industries
Contact person name:
john vandenbeuken
Website:
Physical full address:
Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace, Wellington, 6012
Phone number:
0298942581
Fax number:
Country introduction:

New Zealand and Australia share a joint food regulation system for the composition of labelling of most foods. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the regulatory agency responsible for the development of the joint food standards in Australia and New Zealand. The main office (approximately 120 staff) is located in Canberra (in the Australian Capital Territory) and the smaller New Zealand office (approximately 15 staff) is located in Wellington on the North Island.

Useful links
Relevant documents
Stacked events:

FSANZ does not: Separately assess food from stacked event lines where food from the GM parents has already been approved; Mandate notification of stacked events by developers; Notify the public of stacked event ‘approvals’; List food derived from stacked event lines in the Code, unless the stacked event line has been separately assessed as a single line e.g. Application A518: MXB-13 cotton (DAS-21023-5 x DAS-24236-5)

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) (http://www.foodstandards.gov.au)

Philippines
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Philippines
Summary of application:

On November 21, 2012, Syngenta Philippines submitted an application to the Bureau of Plant Industry requesting for biosafety permit under Administrative Order (AO) No. 8 Part 5 for Cotton COT102 which has been genetically modified for insect resistance.


Syngenta Philippines Inc. has provided data on the identity of Cotton COT102, a detailed description of the modification method, data and information on the gene insertion sites, copy numbers and levels of expression in the plant, the role of the inserted genes and regulatory sequences in donor organisms, and full nucleotide sequences. The novel proteins were identified, characterized, and compared to the original bacterial proteins, including an evaluation of their potential toxicity to livestock. Relevant scientific publications were also supplied. 

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Date of authorization: 09/09/2015
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Cotton COT102 has been evaluated according to BPI’s safety assessment by concerned agencies [Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) and a Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP)]. The process involves an intensive analysis of the nature of the genetic modification together with the consideration of safety assessment paradigm, which includes molecular characterization, protein characterization, and food/feed composition. Syngenta has developed product Cotton COT102 which was genetically modified using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. It contains two novel genes: vip3A(a) gene from B. thuringiensis strain AB88 coding for the vegetative insecticidal protein VIP3A, and the aph4 gene from E. coli, coding for hygromycin-B phosphotransferase (APH4), an enzyme which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin. The potential toxicity and allergenicity of the VIP3Aa19 and APH4 proteins expressed in Event COT102 cotton was evaluated by acute oral toxicity testing, digestive fate, and heat stability studies. In addition, amino acid sequence homology searches were performed against known toxins and allergens. • Studies on the in vitro digestibility with SGF showed that VIP3Aa19 protein was rapidly digested/ degraded completely after one minute incubation. • Studies also showed that VIP3Aa19 protein is unstable (Thermolabile) upon heating at temperature 65⁰c and above and that the bioactivity and immunocreactivity are completely loss at 150⁰c to 170⁰c. • Acute toxicity potential of VIP3Aa19 protein was performed in male and female mice administered a single oral gavage dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight. No test-related adverse findings were observed, demonstrating that VIP3Aa19 protein is non-toxic to mice, hence not a health risk. • APH4 protein expressed in transgenic plants was readily digested as conventional dietary protein under typical mammalian gastric condition (SGF) as determined by Western Blot analysis. Therefore, APH protein will not cause adverse effects on human and animal health. • Studies on toxin and allergen homologies of protein APH4 showed no significant similarities with any known or putative toxin and shares no biologically relevant amino acid sequence similarity to known or putative allergen. Neither the VIP3Aa19 protein nor the APH4 protein displayed any of the characteristics of a potential toxin or allergen. Based on this weight-of-evidence approach, it was concluded that the VIP3A and APH4 proteins expressed in event COT102 were extremely unlikely to exhibit mammalian toxicity or allergenicity. Key nutritional and anti-nutritional components of fuzzy cottonseed from transgenic line COT102 cotton plants were compared with cottonseed from non-transgenic line Coker 312. The cottonseed was analyzed for proximates (protein, fat, ash, carbohydrates, ADF, NDF, TDF), amino acids, minerals, fatty acids, including cyclopropenoid fatty acids, and gossypol. Data on compositional analyses were compared with published ranges for conventional cotton in the International Life Sciences Institute Crop Composition Database.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
E-mail:
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Bureau of Plant Industry
Contact person name:
Geronima P. Eusebio
Website:
Physical full address:
San Andres St., Malate, Manila
Phone number:
632 404 0409 loc 203
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Country introduction:

In 1987, scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Quarantine Officer of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Director for Crops of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), recognizing the potential harm of the introduction of exotic species and genetic engineering, formed a committee and formulated the biosafety protocols and guidelines for genetic engineering and related research activities for UPLB and IRRI researchers. The committee went on to draft a Philippine biosafety policy, which was submitted to the Office of the President. On October 15, 1990, recognizing the potential for modern biotechnology both in improving the lives of the people and in creating hazards if not handled properly, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order 430 creating the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP) that will formulate, review and amend national policy on biosafety and formulate guidelines on the conduct of activities on genetic engineering. The NCBP is comprised of representative of the Departments of Agriculture (DA); Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Health (DOH); and Science and Technology (DOST), 4 scientists in biology, environmental science, social science and physical science; and 2 respected members of the community. On July 16, 2001, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued the Policy Statement on Modern Biotechnology, reiterating the government policy on promoting the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology. On April 3, 2002, Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002 was issued implementing the guidelines for importation and release into the environment of Plants and Plant Products Derived from the Use of Modern Biotechnology. On March 17, 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No.514 Establishing the National Biosafety Framework, prescribing guidelines for its implementation, reorganizing the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines, and for other purposes. On December 8, 2015, the Philippine Supreme Court declared DA AO8 null and void and any application for contained use, field testing, propagation and commercialization, and importation of GMOs was temporarily enjoined. In response to the nullification of DA AO8, the Technical Working Group composed of representatives from the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Science and Technology (DOST), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Health (DOH), and Interior and Local Government (DILG) drafted the Joint Department Circular No. 1, Series of 2016 (JDC No.1, S2016) titled 'Rules and Regulations for the Research and Development, Handling and Use, Transboundary Movement, Release into the Environment, and Management of Genetically-Modified Plant and Plant Products Derived from the Use of Modern Biotechnology'. There were series of meeting and five public consultations conducted before the JDC No.1, S2016 was approved and signed by the Secretaries of the abovementioned agencies on March 7, 2016 and took effect on April 15, 2016. Under this Circular, more government agencies were involved such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to regulate applications for contained use and confined test of regulated articles; Department of Agriculture (DA) to evaluate applications for field trial, commercial propagation and transboundary movement of regulated articles; Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to evaluate environmental risks and impacts of regulated articles; Department of Health (DOH) to evaluate of environmental health impacts of regulated articles; and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to supervise public consultation during field trial.

 

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Stacked events:

Gene stacking in plants can be conferred either through genetic engineering or conventional breeding A full risk assessment as to food and feed or for processing shall be conducted to plant products carrying stacked genes conferred through genetic engineering or conventional breeding, where the individual traits have no prior approval for direct use as food and feed or processing from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) A desktop or documentary risk assessment on the possible or expected interactions between the genes shall be conducted for stacked gene products with multiple traits conferred through conventional breeding and individual events granted prior approval by the Bureau of Plant Industry.

 

Plant Products Carrying Stacked Genes Conferred Through (a) Genetic Engineering or b) Conventional Breeding, with Individual Traits That Have No Prior Approval:

A full risk assessnent as to  food and feed or processing shall be conducted,consistent with Part V of AO No. 8,"Approval Process For the Importation of Regulated Articles for Direct Use as Food and Feed or For Processing for plant products with multiple traits conferred through:

(a) genetic engineering, or

(b) conventional breeding, where the individual traits have no prior approval from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for direct use as food and feed or processing.

Plant Products Carrying Stacked Genes Conferred through Conventional Breeding:

For plant products with multiple traits conferred through conventional breeding,with all individual events granted prior approval and included in the Approval Registry, a notlfication shall be submitted by the technology developer to the BPI, which shall conduct an evaluation in accordance with the relevant criteria in Annex I of this Memorandum Circular. The list of data contained in Annex I will not preclude the inclusion of other issues and concerns that will be raised by the BPI and the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) during the course of the desktop review.

Notificatlon Requirement for Plant Products Carrying Stacked Genes

All technology developers shall submit a notification to the Bureau of Plant Industry of their developed plant products carrying stacked genes and shall be required to comply with the relevant approval process listed above.

The Bureau of Plant Industry shall issue a certiflcate as to the approval of the stacked gene product and shall likewise include the transformation event in the official approval registry of plant products for food and feed or processing.

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Bureau of Plant Industry 692 San Andres St, Malate, Manila 1004

Republic of Korea
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Korea
Summary of application:

Lepidopteran insect resistance

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Date of authorization: 09/01/2014
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Please see the link below(in Korean).
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
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Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety
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Website:
Physical full address:
Osong Health Technology Administration Complex, 187, Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheonbuk-do, 363-700, Korea
Phone number:
82-43-719-2360
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Stacked events:
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
Singapore
Name of product applicant: Syngenta
Summary of application:

Apply for use as food, feed and processing

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Date of authorization: 16/11/2020
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Cotton line COT102 (SYN-IR102-7) has been developed to resist lepidopteran pests through the transfer of the vip3A gene to the non-transgenic cotton line Coker 312. The vip3A gene encodes the vegetative insecticidal protein 3A, denoted VIP3A, which is selectively toxic to certain insect pests of cotton. The vip3A gene is derived from the soil and plant bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Molecular analyses of cotton line COT102 indicate that the transferred vip3A gene is stably integrated into the plant genome at a single insertion site and is stably inherited from one generation to the next. VIP3A protein is non-toxic and has limited potential as food allergens. Composition analyses showed that food from cotton line COT102 is equivalent in composition to that from other commercial cotton varieties. Food produced from this cotton line is as safe as food produced from other cotton varieties.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)
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Organization/agency name (Full name):
Singapore Food Agency (SFA)
Contact person name:
Dr Tan Yong Quan
Website:
Physical full address:
52 Jurong Gateway Road 14-01 JEM Office Tower Singapore 608550
Phone number:
(65)68052750
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Country introduction:

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is a Statutory Board established under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) to oversee food safety and security. SFA’s mission is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food.  SFA adopts a risk-based approach to food safety. Foods with foodborne hazards that may pose potential food safety risks to consumers are subjected to more stringent checks, regardless of their country of origin. SFA has in place an integrated system to ensure that both imported and domestically produced foods are safe for consumption.  The system comprises control measures such as source accreditation, inspection and surveillance of food, laboratory analysis, food legislation and recall of food products, which safeguard food safety from farm to fork.

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Stacked events:

More information on the guidelines for the safety assessment of stacked events can be found on GMAC’s website:

http://www.gmac.sg/Index_Singapore_Guidelines_on_the_Release_of_Agriculture_Related_GMOs.html

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

United States of America
Name of product applicant: Syngenta Seeds, Inc
Summary of application:

Cotton
Trait 1 Added Protein or DNA: VIP3A
Source: Bacillus thuringiensis strain AB88
Intended Effect: Resistance to lepidopteran insects
Event Designation: Transformation Event COT102

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Date of authorization: 26/06/2008
Scope of authorization: Food and feed
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):
Please consult the website links below.
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Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment: FDA's webpage regarding this variety
EPA Registered Plant Incorporated Protectants
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Organization/agency name (Full name):
Food and Drug Administration
Contact person name:
Jason Dietz
Website:
Physical full address:
5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park MD 20740
Phone number:
240-402-2282
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Country introduction:

The United States is currently in the process of populating this database. The Food and Drug Administration regulates food and feed (food for humans and animals) from genetically engineered crops in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA regulates pesticides, including those that are plant incorporated protectants genetically engineered into food crops, to make sure that pesticide residues are safe for human and animal consumption and do not pose unreasonable risks of harm to human health or the environment. FDA In the Federal Register of May 29, 1992 (57 FR 22984), FDA published its "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties" (the 1992 policy). The 1992 policy clarified the agency's interpretation of the application of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to human and animal foods derived from new plant varieties and provided guidance to industry on scientific and regulatory issues related to these foods. The 1992 policy applied to all foods derived from all new plant varieties, including varieties that are developed using genetic engineering (also known as recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) technology). In the 1992 policy, FDA recommended that developers consult with FDA about foods from genetically engineered plants under development and developers have routinely done so. In June 1996, FDA provided additional guidance to industry on procedures for these consultations (the consultation procedures). These procedures describe a process in which a developer who intends to commercialize food from a genetically engineered plant meets with the agency to identify and discuss relevant safety, nutritional, or other regulatory issues regarding the genetically engineered food and then submits to FDA a summary of its scientific and regulatory assessment of the food. FDA evaluates the submission and if FDA has questions about the summary provided, it requests clarification from the developer. At the conclusion of the consultation FDA responds to the developer by letter. The approach to the safety assessment of genetically engineered food recommended by FDA during consultations, including data and information evaluated, is consistent with that described in the Codex Alimentarius Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants. EPA The safe use of pesticidal substances is regulated by EPA. Food from a genetically engineered plant that is the subject of a consultation with FDA may contain an introduced pesticidal substance, also known as a plant-incorporated protectant (PIP), that is subject to food (food for humans and animals) safety and environmental review by EPA. PIPs are pesticidal substances produced by plants and the genetic material necessary for the plant to produce the substance. Both the PIP protein and its genetic material are regulated by EPA. When assessing the potential risks of PIPs, EPA requires studies examining numerous factors, such as risks to human health, non-target organisms and the environment, potential for gene flow, and insect resistance management plans, if needed. In regulating PIPs, decisions are based on scientific standards and input from academia, industry, other Federal agencies, and the public. Before the first PIP product was registered in 1995, EPA required that PIP products be thoroughly tested against human safety standards before they were used on human food and livestock feed crops. EPA scientists assessed a wide variety of potential effects associated with the use of PIPs, including toxicity, and allergenicity. These potential effects were evaluated in light of the public's potential exposures to these pesticides, taking into account all potential combined sources of the exposure (food, drinking water, etc.) to determine the likelihood that a person exposed at these levels would be predisposed to a health risk. Based on its reviews of the scientific studies and often peer reviews by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Scientific Advisory Panel, EPA determined that these genetically engineered PIP products, when used in accordance with approved label directions and use restrictions, would not pose unreasonable risk to human health and the environment during their time-limited registration.

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Stacked events:

Stacked events that are each plant incorporated protectants, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, must be registered by the Envriornmental Protection Agency before they can be commercialized.  Food/feed safety asssessment of single events are generally sufficient to ensure the safety of food/feed from stacked events.   

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Food and Drug Administration ([email protected]); Environmental Protection Agency