Transcript Biotechnology and Food: Untangling the Facts

Biotechnology and Food:
Untangling the Facts
Ruth S. MacDonald, RD PhD
Professor and Chair
Topics
• Agricultural food biotechnology
• Organic and conventional - natural
• Food processing technology
– PHOs and additives
Nutrition and food are in the news and in
government policy more than ever before.
Is science driving decisions?
Agricultural Food Biotechnology
• Application of molecular tools to modify
plants and animals used in food production.
• Molecular tools:
– Insertion of genes (transgenes, autogenes)
– Editing of genes
– Silencing genes
Molecular biology
• Genetic code
– DNA  RNA  protein
– One gene  one protein
• Genomes mapped
– Correlate genes with characteristics
– Combined with biochemical pathways
• Technology advances
– Tools to delete, silence, insert genes
– Express specific traits
Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids (1953) Nature 171;
737-738
• RECOMBINANT HUMAN INSULIN (1980)
Transgenics – how its done
http://palmer-dna-technology-wikis.wikispaces.com/file/view/transgenic_plant.JPG/197641326/transgenic_plant.JPG
What does GMO do?
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Herbicide tolerance
Insect resistance
Virus resistance
Ripening delayed
Amino acid composition
Fatty acid composition
Modified color
Nicotine reduced
Plant quality
Starch hydrolysis
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Increase yield
Increase quality
Reduce use of chemicals
Reduce waste
Nutrition improvement
www.cera-gmc.org
Conventional – Organic – Natural – Genetically Modified: Which is which?
GMO in the Grocery Store
• GE crops account for
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Soybeans 90%
Corn 80%
Canola
Sugar beets
INGREDIENTS in many foods
http://www.freshthemovie.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09AP_GE_Salmon.jpg
• Papaya
• Papaya Ringspot virus in 1980
• GE technology responsible for saving crop
• Squash
GMO salmon has been
developed but not yet
approved by FDA
Very limited number of foods are GMO! But more are coming -> Artic Apples
“70-80% of processed foods have GMO”
• Corn
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Sweeteners (HFCS)
Corn starch
Corn oil
Animal feed
• Soybean
– Soy flour - proteins
– Soy oil
– Animal feed
• Canola
– Canola oil
• Sugar beets
– Sugar
• Alfalfa
– Animal feed
Where goes the GMO?
No DNA or protein
in products for human food – so
are these still GMO??
Digestion basics…
• All plant and animal foods have DNA and
proteins
• Consumed food is digested into basic units:
– DNA  nucleotides
– Proteins  amino acids
• The basic units are absorbed into the body
and used to make human DNA and proteins
• Intact DNA or protein from food is NOT
absorbed directly into our bodies
• GMO DNA and protein is digested like all
other sources
BUT IS GMO SAFE?
FDA policy
• In the 1992 policy, FDA also addresses the labeling of
foods derived from new plant varieties, including
plants developed by bioengineering. The 1992 policy
does not establish special labeling requirements for
bioengineered foods as a class of foods.
• The policy states that FDA has no basis for concluding
that bioengineered foods differ from other foods in any
meaningful or uniform way, or that, as a class, foods
developed by the new techniques present any different
or greater safety concern than foods developed by
traditional plant breeding
http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/ucm059098.htm
Coordinated Framework for the
Regulation of Biotechnology
• Issued in 1986
• Updated in 1992
• OSTP called for update in 2015
1. Clarify roles of EPA, USDA and
EPA
2. Long term strategy for future
products
3. Commission an expert analysis of
future products (National
Academies)
Safety testing
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Safety assessments begin with concept of product
No variety is released without substantial safety evidence
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Research on safety
– Nutrient and chemistry same as non-gmo
– No inadvertent compounds – no allergens
– Transfer and/or breakdown of trait
– Environmental safety
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Independent researchers
– Animal studies
– Environmental studies
Human and animal safety record
• Farm animals fed GMO feed for over 30 years
– Most carefully monitored animals on the plant
– No changes in health, growth or reproduction
• Humans consuming GMO ingredients for 20 years
– Largest epidemiological study every completed
– Never any reported illness or negative health effect
– No allergen risk
• Independent studies in US and Europe – no safety concerns.
• Major health organizations support GMO safety.
Defining ‘Safe’
• Risk-Benefit
• Exposure – dose
• Long term vs short term
• Safe to who-what-when?
MANDATORY GMO LABELING
Purpose of food labeling
Regulated by FDA
• Standard of identity
• Quantity (weight/volume)
• Food composition and
ingredients
• Manufacturer name and
address
• Nutrition facts panel
• Allergens
– (eggs, fish and seafood, milk
and lactose, peanuts and tree
nuts, soy, wheat and gluten)
Labeling requires monitoring
• FDA would need to define levels of GMO, ingredient tracking
and industry regulations – pass laws
• Industry tracking of ingredients and production methods
would add to food costs
• More sensitive methods to detect GMO in foods and
ingredients need to be developed and purchased by FDA and
industry – more costs
• More FDA inspectors needed to educate and monitor industry
– more costs
Funding for FDA would need to be increased (higher taxes?)
foods would cost more – with no added safety to consumers
Other food technology topics….
Organic – natural
Trans fats
Additives
What is the opposite of organic?
What is natural food?
Organic Foods Defined
100% Organic
•Only organically-produced ingredients and processing aids
Organic
•95% organically produced ingredients
Made with Organic Ingredients
•At least 70% organic ingredients
Some Organic Ingredients
Organic Foods
Production Act of
1990
NOP is a set of defined agricultural practices
Does not address healthfulness or safety of foods
Organic Farming
Number of organic farms
by state:
Organic food sales:
$39.1 billion in 2014
1898
870
597
493
467
California
Wisconsin
New York
Washington
Iowa
2011 Organic Production Survey
https://www.ota.com/resources/market-analysis
Price Difference
• Hy-Vee Vitamin D Milk
– $3.59 per 1 gal
• Organic Valley New York Fresh Whole Milk
– $6.89 per 1 gal
• Dole cauliflower = $3.99
• Earthbound Farm Organic cauliflower = $4.99
Hy-Vee online shopping accessed 7/16/2015
No health benefit
On the basis of a systematic review of studies of
satisfactory quality, there is no evidence of a
difference in nutrient quality between organically
and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The
small differences in nutrient content detected are
biologically plausible and mostly relate to
differences in production methods.
Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:680–5.
Pesticide Residue
In summary, findings conclusively demonstrate that consumer
exposures to the ten most frequently detected pesticides on
EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” commodity list are at negligible levels
and that the EWG methodology is insufficient to allow any
meaningful rankings among commodities.
We concur with EWG President Kenneth Cook who maintains
that “We recommend that people eat healthy by eating more
fruits and vegetables, whether conventional or organic”, but
our findings do not indicate that substituting organic forms
of the “Dirty Dozen” commodities for conventional forms
will lead to any measurable consumer health benefit.
Winter and Katz, Journal of Toxicology, 2011
Partially Hydrogenated Oils
• Vegetable oils + hydrogen gas + catalyst
• Add hydrogens to double bonds which changes
melting point
• Vegetable oils  margarines and shortenings
PHOs, Trans fats and Health
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Saturated fats linked to CVD
Industry replaced animal fats with PHOs
Trans fats linked to increased LDL
Labeling of trans fat added to Nutrition Facts
panel in 2006
• PHOs removed from GRAS in 2013
• Industry has 3 years to remove from foods
Chemical Additives
• Trend to remove artificial ingredients and additives
• Not based on health risks or safety
• Market strategy
“I applaud Panera for replacing dyes and certain other questionable
additives in its foods," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of
Center for Science in the Public Interest. "But eliminating many of the
ingredients with unfamiliar chemical names, like calcium propionate
and sodium erythorbate, is done solely for PR purposes and not to make
safer, more healthful foods."
Communication trends
Consumer
Science
Expert
Consumer
Consumer
Consumer
Expert
Science
Consumer
PAST
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Take home messages
• No evidence that GMO foods have negative
effects on health
• Organically produced foods are not inherently
safer or more nutritious that conventionally
produced foods
• Trends to eliminate food additives are more
about marketing than health
• Government policy decisions must be based on
sound science
Helpful websites
• GMO Answers www.gmoanswers.com
• Center for Food Integrity www.foodintegrity.org
• Genetic Literacy Project www.geneticliteracyproject.org
• Allow golden rice now www.allowgoldenricenow.org
• Biology fortified www.biofortified.org
• IFIC www.foodsafetynews.com