Ni Sijie, a trainee reporter for Science Times
The debate over the safety of genetically modified foods has recently resurfaced. On October 26th, it was reported that the Ministry of Agriculture's Special Office for Genetically Modified Management confirmed that in 2012, the Chinese Academy of Food and Drug Authentication and China Agricultural University were commissioned to conduct research on genetically modified rice, using monkeys and miniature pigs for systematic studies on metabolism, immunity, reproduction, and development.
Although the Ministry of Agriculture’s GM office stated that the trial aimed to provide more scientific data without any direct link to the safety assessment of genetically modified organisms, public concerns about the safety of GM food have not been resolved.
So, what kind of tests are needed to prove the safety of genetically modified foods? What should be done during the safety testing process?
The Results Remain Uncertain
One part of the project involved a 90-day feeding trial with miniature pigs. On October 21st, Professor Huang Kunlun from the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, who led the pig experiment, told a reporter from the China Science Journal that no poisoning or deaths occurred during the trial. The pigs had smooth fur, normal appetite, and healthy growth. Their body weight, length, and chest circumference were similar between the test group and the control group.
Despite the publication of the trial results, public concern has not subsided.
“We need to understand the long-term implications of consuming genetically modified foods. Can a 90-day trial really convince the public of the rigor of the review?†Zhao Wenjin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, questioned.
Data transparency has also become a major issue. Xiao Xianjing, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “As long as there are no state secrets involved, all trial data and information should be fully disclosed. Peer review and reproducibility tests should be conducted to ensure objectivity and let the public know more about the research.â€
In response, Huang Kunlun said, “We only have the right to provide test data to the commissioning party. Whether they choose to release it is up to them.†Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture's GMO safety management office revealed that the project includes other tests, and all data will remain unpublished until the project concludes in 2015.
Human Trials Are Challenging
Huang Kunlun noted that the 90-day mini-pig feeding trial is not essential for the safety evaluation of genetically modified organisms. According to regulations, rat-based tests are sufficient. He explained that current GM crop safety research involves rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, and rapeseed, with animal experiments including acute toxicity tests, three-generation tests, 90-day feeding trials, long-term toxicity tests, multi-generation breeding tests, and allergenicity tests.
The choice of miniature pigs was based on their physiological similarity to humans, which can better reflect the safety of transgenic rice for human consumption. However, Zhao Bin, a professor at Fudan University’s School of Life Sciences, believes that there are still significant differences between pigs and humans, and more research is needed to confirm safety.
This is why the idea of conducting human trials on genetically modified organisms has often been raised.
Huang Kunlun, however, argues that due to ethical constraints, it is impractical to conduct human trials on all GM products. He explains that if other scientific tests sufficiently prove safety, human trials are unnecessary. Unlike drugs, which are not part of the human diet and have simpler components, food contains complex substances like proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, making it difficult to track their metabolism comprehensively.
Generational Effects Matter
According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s “Guidelines for Safety Evaluation of Genetically Modified Plants,†safety evaluations must include toxicology assessments of new substances, allergenicity analysis, key component analysis, whole-food safety evaluation, and nutritional assessment.
Zhao Bin emphasizes that regardless of whether rats or pigs are used, these tests cannot fully address potential long-term generational effects. He suggests that to truly evaluate safety, the offspring of pigs fed with genetically modified feed should continue to be tested across multiple generations.
Experts at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences suggest that while it is unrealistic to complete all tests at once, more systematic, scientific, and long-term experiments should be carried out gradually. For example, more pigs under different physiological conditions could be tested over one or two years or several generations.
Zhang Jingqing, director of Greenpeace’s Food and Agriculture Project, recommended that the government invest more funds and efforts into genetic safety testing and research.
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