faqs - genetically modified foods

What foods are produced from GMOs? What is the approximate no. of such products in the market?

According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the principal GM crop in 2012 was GM soybean, followed by GM maize, GM cotton, and GM canola.

ISAAA also reported that in 2012, GM crops were commercially cultivated in 28 countries. Many other countries have granted regulatory approvals for GM crops to be imported for food and feed use. Since 1996 and as at 2012, a total of 2,497 regulatory approvals have been granted worldwide for the commercial cultivation and/or food and feed use of various GM crops.

Since Singapore imports more than 90% of its food products from various parts of the world, the increasing adoption of GM crops in many countries worldwide implies that it is very likely that foods with GM-derived components are sold here.

How long have GM foods and/or food ingredients been in the market?

Chymosin is an enzyme used in cheese making. In 1990, authorities from countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States approved GM chymosin for food use. This was the first approval of a GM food ingredient. In 1994, the first GM whole food, the Flavr-Savr tomato, was released for sale in the market.

Are the foods produced from GMOs safe for consumption?

Foods produced from GMOs can be as safe as foods from non-GMOs. Since the first GM food was commercialized almost two decades ago, there had been no known reports of hazards resulting from the consumption of GM foods.

A report was issued in 2005 by the International Council of Science (ICSU), an organization whose membership consists of 111 national academies of science and 29 scientific unions. After comprehensive analyses of 50 science-based reviews, the ICSU concludes that “currently available genetically modified foods are safe to eat.” The World Health Organization agrees that current varieties of GM foods "are not likely to present risks for human health.”

In 2010, the European Commission published a report summarizing the results of more than 130 EU-funded projects on safety of GMOs. The projects were conducted by over 500 independent research teams over a span of more than twenty-five years. The scientific evidences led EU to conclude that "there is, as of today, no scientific evidence associating GMOs with higher risks for the environment or for food and feed safety than conventional plants and organisms.”

Closer to home, the official regulatory agency for GM foods is the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). As a non-regulatory advisory committee, GMAC works very closely with the AVA to ensure GM food safety.

GM foods commercially available in Singapore have undergone various lines of scrutiny for safety. Firstly, under international food practices, before a GM food can be considered for commercialization, its producer must subject it to rigorous tests on quality, allergenicity, toxicity, composition, and nutritional value. Secondly, all food products derived from GMOs must be assessed to be safe by the competent national regulatory bodies of the exporting countries.

Thirdly, in accordance to the GMAC’s Guidelines on the Release of Agriculture-Related GMOs, applications for import or release of agriculture-related GMOs in Singapore are first submitted to GMAC, where an expert scientific committee examines the GMOs' origin, the experimental procedures used to create them, and the methods used to prove that they are safe for consumption. GMAC’s endorsement of a GM product will be one of the main factors that the AVA will take into account when considering the final approval.

In addition, AVA monitors the presence of GM foods in our market through regular testing in their laboratories. The list of GM foods available in our market is listed here.

Are foods derived from GMOs more nutritious?

To date, all GM foods available commercially are the so-called first generation GM foods. These have been bioengineered to express agronomic traits such as pest- and herbicide-resistance and do not differ significantly from their conventional counterparts in terms of nutritional contents.

Scientists have developed second generation GM plants with enhanced nutritional contents. While these have not been commercialized as yet, several varieties are in the pipeline for regulatory approval. Two examples will be “Golden Rice” that is rich in pro-vitaminA and soybean that contains enhanced levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Are we already consuming foods derived from GMOs?

Genetically modified crops, especially soybean and corn, have been approved in many countries (see our answer to the first question above, on "What foods are produced from GMOs? What is the approximate no. of such products in the market?"). These are very likely incorporated into various processed foods. Since Singapore imports food from many parts of the world, it is possible that such foods with GM-derived components are sold here in Singapore. Like any other foods sold in Singapore, these foods have been assessed to be safe based on the AVA’s rigorous safety standards.

Will foods produced from GMOs carry special labels in Singapore?

There are currently no legislations and guidelines for the labelling of GM foods in Singapore. Whilst this is so, GM foods, like all other food products, must meet existing food labelling requirements to facilitate tracing and recall. The local authorities will work to ensure that GM foods commercially available in Singapore are safe for consumption, and will also continue to monitor international developments closely to ensure that Singapore's labelling requirements are up to date.

GM food labelling, where practised, is done with the intention of providing consumers with choice, and not for food safety reasons.

Is enough known about gene modification in view of the fact that too little is known about the risks, particularly on the long-term health and environmental effects?

Do you think we’ve marketed the GM foods too early?

Is this a case of profit before safety?

Should there be more conclusive findings before putting genetically modified foods on the shelves?

These are useful reminders that all new technologies, whether in food, medicine, or any other applications, may pose risks without proper checks and evaluations.

Since the first GM foods were marketed for almost two decades, there has been no reliable evidence that GM foods or crops are harmful to human health or the environment. Nonetheless, public safety is of paramount importance to GMAC and we remain vigilant on new developments in relevant fields. Our charter is not to put profit before safety, but to ensure that all risks related to these products are minimized through the establishment of a proper, science-based risk assessment framework. In this way, we will be able to reap the benefits of biotechnology while ensuring that public health and safety is well protected.