Australia and New Zealand
January 7, 2025
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the sale and use of food derived from a genetically modified (GM) soybean line.
Soybean line MON94637 has been genetically modified to protect the plant from damage caused by lepidopteran insect pests.
If approved, food products derived from this soybean, such as oil, milk, flour, meal and protein isolates, may enter the Australian and New Zealand food supply as imported items.
Our safety assessment found no potential public health or safety concerns with food derived from this GM soybean. It is as safe as food from non-GM soybean varieties.
Safety assessments are a key part of the approval process for all GM foods. To help people make informed choices, food made from this soybean would need to be labelled as 'genetically modified' if novel DNA and/or novel proteins were contained in the final food.
The approval would not permit the GM soybean to be grown in Australia or New Zealand. Cultivation or importation of viable seeds would require separate regulatory assessment and approval by the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia, and the Environmental Protection Authority in New Zealand.
To have your say on this application, visit the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions close at 11:59pm (Canberra time) 18 February 2025.
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