Food biotechnology and food safety: finding answers
Food biotechnologies may raise a number of questions whose answers may not always be easy to find. In fact, national food safety competent authorities are often asked by consumers and other stakeholders to provide science-based information in a way that is quick and easy for non-experts to understand, which requires technical knowledge, dissemination outlets, diverse skillsets and time.
Upon Members’ request, FAO has published the “Information toolkit on food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety”, which serves as a basis to assist countries in addressing the general public’s concerns on food biotechnology and food safety, to support them in raising awareness of the science of food biotechnologies and food safety and to inform discussions and decisions.
Why and how are food biotechnologies being used and how are they regulated? How do they affect human health? What international databases exist? How can the authorities engage the public effectively? These and many other questions are addressed in the toolkit. The contents provided in the publication were agreed by consensus by 24 international experts from ten different countries in the area of food safety, biotechnology, biosafety and science communication.
FAO Information toolkit for food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety
- Handbook
- Tool 1: Background and guidance
- Tool 2: Fundamentals
- Tool 3: Rationale for potential benefits
- Tool 4: GM food safety assessments
- Tool 5: Regulations
- Tool 6: Human Health
- Tool 7: The environment
- Tool 8: Practical uses and applications
- Tool 9: Current innovations
- Tool 10: Public engagement
For more information about the toolkit:
- Developing a communication toolkit on food biotechnologies: Proceedings of the technical consultation meetings: http://www.fao.org/3/cb2022en/cb2022en.pdf
- Stock-taking analysis on food biotechnology communication materials in the world: http://www.fao.org/3/cb1394en/cb1394en.pdf
Further references:
- FAO GM Foods Platform: https://www.fao.org/gm-platform/
- FAO biotechnology and food safety: http://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/crosscutting-and-emerging-issues/biotechnology/
- Global community meeting of the FAO GM Foods Platform: Towards effective risk-based food safety assessment and regulatory management: http://www.fao.org/3/ca8945en/CA8945EN.pdf