The latest decision by experts paves the way for the distribution of foods developed using genome editing, a relatively new innovation in the field of genetic engineering
A panel of experts at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has made a decision that no safety tests will be necessary for those foods in which certain gene functions have been destroyed via genome-editing technologies.
Genome-editing-related research and development has been making progress around the world. In the United States, genome-edited foods have already been produced on a commercial basis. In Japan, such technologies have been used to develop red sea bream that has a higher yield of meat and a tomato variety that has an abundance of a nutrient that can lower blood pressure. There is a possibility that these products will be on the market this year.
Genetically modified (GM) foods are required to undergo safety tests on the basis of the Food Sanitation Law. Won't eliminating the requirement of genome-edited food testing give rise to public concerns about safety? The government is required to respond carefully, through such measures as providing clear information.
Until recently, it had been difficult to alter genetic information exactly as intended with existing GM-related techniques. However, genome-editing technology is capable of altering genes with a high degree of accuracy.
The alteration of genes through genome-editing technologies is theoretically the same as conventional selective breeding that relies on genetic mutations that occur in the natural world. This is said to be the primary reason that influenced the decision on safety testing.
Proper labeling vital
However, mistakes can occur even with genome-editing technologies. As a consequence, the risk of producing food not fit for consumption exists.
Genome editing is a technique that has come into full-scale use during the present decade. As such, it is all the more necessary for business operators individually to conduct careful examinations at the development stage to determine whether modification has resulted in any adverse effects.
The health ministry will ask business operators to submit the results of their examinations. Although there is no legal obligation to do so, the ministry intends to clarify where responsibility lies by disclosing the outline of the results. The ministry will notify businesses of ways to submit their results by this summer.
The health ministry should check the content of the submitted results carefully. Should a problem arise, it must conduct thorough investigations to determine the cause based on the results.
The key to the spread of such technologies is whether genome-edited foods are accepted by consumers.
Many consumers are reluctant to embrace GM foods. Appropriate food labeling is essential so that consumers know if the products they are purchasing include genome-edited foods.
The Consumer Affairs Agency has just started discussing labeling methods of such foods. Shouldn't business operators also consider refraining from putting such products on the market until the agency has reached a definitive conclusion?
In its Integrated Innovation Strategy, a scheme designed to foster innovation in science and technology, the government aims to have genome-editing technologies used in a wide range of fields. It should bear in mind that without the understanding of the general public, the use of such technologies will not become widespread.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 8, 2019)
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