DO GM foods pose a greater risk of allergic reactions?

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 29/05/2015 15:57

According to Lisa Katic, RD, “no commercially available crops contain allergens that have been created by genetically engineering a seed/plant. And the rigorous testing process ensures that will never happen.”

GMOs do not introduce any new allergens.

Lisa goes on to say that “food allergies are mainly caused by eight major foods (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish) and account for about 90 percent of reported food allergies in the United States. First, it is important to note that only one of these eight major allergens listed above is a potential product of biotechnology, and that is soy. Of the remaining seven allergens listed, none is commercially available in genetically modified varieties.”

Before a GMO can get to market, it must undergo a rigorous testing process to ensure it does not introduce new allergens. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains, “Evaluating the safety of food from a genetically engineered plant is a comprehensive process that includes several steps. Generally, the developer identifies the distinguishing attributes of new genetic traits and assesses whether any new material that a person consumed in food made from the genetically engineered plants could be toxic or allergenic.”

Jenny Schmidt, a farmer and registered dietician, further explores the rigorous testing GMOs undergo to ensure they do not create new allergies in this post. Jenny explains:

“Contrary to what is circulated in the media, foods made from GM crops do not produce any ‘new’ allergenic proteins. The proteins that are used are well documented and researched before those crops are commercialized. Researchers conduct extensive analysis on these proteins before they are inserted into a specific crop and placed in field trials, many stages before commercial approval is given or the seeds are produced and farmers are given a green light to plant in their fields.
 
“First, testing includes analysis and comparison of the protein intended for GM with all other allergenic proteins to detect any similarities that may induce an allergenic response. Scientists compare the gene sequence of the potential GM protein with that of other allergenic proteins. If there are similarities, then that protein is not introduced into any foods. Second, tests are conducted to determine whether the protein is stable enough to survive digestion. Our gut secretes hydrochloric acid, which degrades protein in our stomach when we eat, allowing pepsin, a digestive enzyme, to break down all proteins into smaller parts. If the proteins survive acidic stomach digestion, they are then passed along into the small intestine and exposed to additional enzymes that break the small proteins down even further, to allow the cells to be used as amino acids to absorb them. This digestive process is mimicked in the lab to determine the survivability of the potential GM protein in digestion.

“Another level of testing of GM happens when the proteins are tested on the blood serum drawn from people with known food allergies to determine whether their serum exhibits an allergic response to the protein. Reaction in this decision tree of these methods of research and analysis means that the proteins that were being considered for use will in fact not be used.”

It is important to remember that if a person is allergic to a non-GM plant, he or she will also be allergic to the plant’s GMO counterpart. 

If you have more questions about GMOs and allergies, check out these answers: Connie Diekman answers “What are the effects of GMOs on the human body? Has GMO foods led to an increase in the development of allergies among certain groups of people?” And Lisa Katic answers “Is there good evidence that inserting genes of allergenic organisms into those that dont normally contain them will not cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to specific allergens, e.g. soy?”

If you have additional questions after reading these answers, please ask.