IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v14y2024i8p1306-d1451799.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Precision Breeding and Consumer Safety: A Review of Regulations for UK Markets

Author

Listed:
  • Laura V. Freeland

    (Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
    Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, UK)

  • Dylan W. Phillips

    (Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, UK)

  • Huw D. Jones

    (Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, UK)

Abstract

Gene-edited crops and livestock have the potential to transform food systems by providing resilience to climate change, pest and disease resistance, and the enhancement of nutrients in feed and food in a time-efficient and precise way. In 2023, the UK Parliament passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, paving the way for gene-edited products to be farmed in England and sold, providing they could have theoretically been produced via traditional breeding. In this paper, we describe the possible risks of gene-edited products for consumption using four case studies of gene-edited organisms: increased vitamin D tomatoes, reduced linoleic acid cottonseed oil, porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) resistant pigs and reduced-asparagine wheat. Assuming that the only requirement for an organism to be a Precision-Bred Organism (PBO) is that no transgenic material remains within the organism and that the edit could have, in theory, occurred spontaneously or through traditional breeding methods, then all our case studies would likely be defined as PBOs. We also conclude that the food safety risks of these products appear to be similar to those that society accepts in traditionally bred organisms used for food and feed. However, PBOs that possess markedly altered nutrient profiles may require a dedicated identity-preserved retail chain and/or labelling to avoid unintended over-consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura V. Freeland & Dylan W. Phillips & Huw D. Jones, 2024. "Precision Breeding and Consumer Safety: A Review of Regulations for UK Markets," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:1306-:d:1451799
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1306/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1306/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Donald S. Mottram & Bronislaw L. Wedzicha & Andrew T. Dodson, 2002. "Acrylamide is formed in the Maillard reaction," Nature, Nature, vol. 419(6906), pages 448-449, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kanokwan Chancharoenchai & Wuthiya Saraithong, 2022. "Sustainable Development of Cassava Value Chain through the Promotion of Locally Sourced Chips," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Joanna Michalak & Marta Czarnowska-Kujawska & Elżbieta Gujska, 2019. "Acrylamide and Thermal-Processing Indexes in Market-Purchased Food," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-9, November.
    3. K. Kukurová & Z. Ciesarová & A. Bednáriková & L. Marková, 2009. "Effect of Inorganic Salts on Acrylamide Formation in Cereal Matrices," Czech Journal of Food Sciences, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 27(SpecialIs), pages 425-428.
    4. Enda Cummins & Francis Butler & Ronan Gormley & Nigel Brunton, 2009. "A Monte Carlo Risk Assessment Model for Acrylamide Formation in French Fries," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(10), pages 1410-1426, October.
    5. Nga L. Tran & Leila M. Barraj & Susan Collinge, 2017. "Reduction in Dietary Acrylamide Exposure—Impact of Potatoes with Low Acrylamide Potential," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(9), pages 1754-1767, September.
    6. Yong-Hong Chen & En-Qin Xia & Xiang-Rong Xu & Wen-Hua Ling & Sha Li & Shan Wu & Gui-Fang Deng & Zhi-Fei Zou & Jing Zhou & Hua-Bin Li, 2012. "Evaluation of Acrylamide in Food from China by a LC/MS/MS Method," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-9, November.
    7. Agnieszka Makowska & Dorota Cais-Sokolińska & Agnieszka Waśkiewicz & Grzegorz Tokarczyk & Hanna Paschke, 2016. "Quality and nutritional properties of corn snacks enriched with nanofiltered whey powder," Czech Journal of Food Sciences, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 34(2), pages 154-159.
    8. Karolina Miśkiewicz & Ewa Nebesny & Joanna Oracz, 2012. "Formation of acrylamide during baking of shortcrust cookies derived from various flours," Czech Journal of Food Sciences, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 30(1), pages 53-56.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:1306-:d:1451799. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.