PRESS RELEASE

PR04/98 28 October 1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

AUDIT REPORT OF ROWETT RESEARCH ON LECTINS

 

The Report of the Audit, carried out at the request of Professor Philip James and under the ethical Code of Practice of the Medical Research Council, on the recent Rowett Research Institute work on lectins produced the following conclusions:

 

"The Audit Committee is of the opinion that the existing data do not support any suggestion that the consumption by rats of transgenic potatoes expressing GNA has an effect on growth, organ development or the immune function"

 

Thus the previous suggestion that the research results demonstrated adverse effects from feeding genetically modified potatoes to rats was unfounded.

 

The research was preliminary and not part of the process of testing specifically genetically modified crops destined for commercial use. There was therefore no question of any of the material used in the research entering the food chain.

 

However, the purpose of the research remains valid. It was part of a larger programme designed to identify possible candidate genes, and their implications, for possible future use in the genetic modification of crops to enhance the crops’ resistance to pests.

 

The release of any genetically modified crops is subject to separate and independent regulatory procedures designed to ensure the safety of the crops and any foodstuffs produced from them.

 

The audit team which produced the Audit Report was led by Dr. A. Chesson of the Rowett Research Institute and included Professor H. Davies of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Professor F.J. Bourne, formerly Director of the Institute of Animal Health and Dr. H.J. Flint of the Rowett Research Institute.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

 

1. The formal objective of this collaborative project, which includes the Rowett work on lectins, was as follows:

 

"to identify genes encoding anti-nutritional factors which will be suitable for transfer into plants to enhance their resistance towards insect and nematodes pests, but will have minimum impact on non-target, beneficial organisms, the environment, livestock fed on these plants, and which will present no health risks for humans either directly or indirectly through the food chain"

 

2. Copies of the Audit Report together with a commentary on the results can be obtained from:

 

Ms Hilary Robertson, Press Office, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB

Tel: 01224 712751 : Fax: 01224 715349 :

E-mail: H.Robertson@rri.sari.ac.uk