Biotechnology and food

Biotechnology Australia ceased operations on 30 June 2008. The information on this website has been archived and is no longer updated.

This page discusses how biotechnology applies to food and the safety of genetically modified foods. Covered on this page is:

Which foods are genetically modified?

Who makes sure our food, including GM food, is safe?

How can I identify GM foods?

Why have genetic modification?

What do people think about GM foods?

Other key Government regulators

Which foods are genetically modified?

Foods on sale in Australia that use genetically modified (GM) ingredients come from the six GM commodity crops listed below. Cottonseed oil is produced from GM cotton, and can be found in edible vegetable oils and margarines. GM cotton is the only GM food product approved to be grown commercially in Australia. The other GM foods are imported from other countries.

Products derived from GM crops for use in processed foods sold in Australia are:

• Soybeans - for use in soy-based products and as an ingredient in processed foods such as bread, pastries, snack foods and edible oils products.
• Corn products – can be corn oil, cornflour or corn syrup; used in snack foods, fried foods and confectionery (this does not include corn cobs).
• Potatoes - can be used in processed products such as snack foods (this does not include fresh potatoes).
• Sugar beet - can be used as sugar in some imported processed foods.
• Canola oil - can be used in cooking oils, and a variety of tinned foods, and snack foods.
• Cottonseed oil - can be found in edible vegetable oils and margarines.

In addition, enzymes from GM sources are also used in the creation of some foods, such as sugar and cheese, although there are no GM ingredients in the end product. No fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, fish or agricultural products, other than those listed above, sold in Australia are GM.

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Who makes sure our food, including GM food, is safe?

It is the role of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to ensure that all food, including GM food, is safe and that safety guidelines are based on strict  standards.

All GM foods intended for sale in Australia and New Zealand are subjected to a pre-market safety assessment by FSANZ.  No GM food will be allowed onto the shelves unless it has gone through the safety assessment process and been approved for sale and consumption by FSANZ.

By law, all companies, both from Australia and overseas, must comply with Australian regulations before they can sell any GM food products in Australia. Using specifically-developed guidelines, information supplied by companies, and scientific literature, FSANZ scientists assess the characteristics of GM foods to determine if they have been altered in any way that might make them less safe. The benchmark used by FSANZ for an acceptable level of safety is generally determined by its conventional (non-GM) counterpart. (www.foodstandards.gov.au).

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How can I identify GM foods?

GM food products on sale in Australia and New Zealand - either as a whole food or as an ingredient in a processed food - must have their GM status identified if introduced genetic material or protein is present in the final food. This identification will appear on the packaging label or near the food if it is unpackaged.

So, a typical ingredients list for a food containing a GM ingredient could be:
Ingredients: wheat flour, water added, yeast, soya flour (genetically modified), vegetable oil, sugar, emulsifiers (471, 472E), preservative (282), enzyme amylase.

There are, however, some exceptions. Products that do not need to be labelled include:

• highly refined food, such as sugar or cottonseed oil, where the refining process removes any GM material
• processing aids and food additives, where there is no GM material present in the final food
• flavours which are present in an amount less than 0.1 per cent (1 in 1000 parts) in the final food
• food prepared in restaurants or takeaways shops.

A food may also contain up to one per cent of unintended GM product.

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Why have genetic modification?

Genetic modification has the potential to provide foods that have specific consumer benefits, such as being healthier, safer, cheaper, or can be grown more efficiently.

GM crops may also have some environmental benefits – for example, the use of fewer chemicals during their production. However GM crops may also pose risks to the environment, which is why proper procedures set out by the OGTR must be followed.

Researchers are planning to develop foods that directly benefit consumers by:

• Increasing concentrations of vitamins and improving ratios of fats and other constituents
• Removing the allergy-causing substances and potential toxins that occur naturally in many plants
• Inserting substances known to help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

However, it is important to remember that the possible risks and benefits from gene technology need to be assessed. 

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What do people think about GM foods?

There is a wide range of opinion in the community about GM foods, with diverse and often contradictory arguments for and against.

Attitudes towards GM foods are primarily driven by general attitudes towards food, with those who have higher food safety and nutritional concerns also having concerns about GM foods, and those with few food concerns being less concerned about GM foods.

While results of surveys on the acceptance of GM foods vary, Australian consumers overwhelmingly want labelling of GM foods and more balanced information to help them make up their own minds.

Results of various surveys conducted for the Government are available through the Community Issues section on the Biotechnology Australia website: www.biotechnology.gov.au.

Other key Government regulators

• The Office of Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) regulates the testing and release of all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Australia, under the Gene Technology Act 2000, in order to protect the health and safety of people and the environment from potential risks posed by gene technology. For example, the growing of GM crops, or their import, transport and disposal cannot proceed in Australia without a licence from the Regulator (www.ogtr.gov.au).
• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) oversee imports and exports (www.aqis.gov.au).
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) administers the Trade Practices Act 1974 to protect consumers from unfair trading practices and from false, misleading and deceptive conduct which could include misleading labelling of foods (www.accc.gov.au).

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