Illegal GM maize detected in processed and unprocessed food products in India

Illegal GM maize detected in processed and unprocessed food products in India

Sub : Sci

Sec :Biotech

Detection of Genetically Modified (GM) Maize in India:

• GM maize, which is illegal in India, was found in both processed and unprocessed maize products sold commercially.
• Researchers at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) used attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR spectroscopy) and polymerase chain reaction to confirm its presence.
• Study Details:
  • 34 maize samples analyzed, including popcorn, corn flour, puffcorn, corn soup, canned corn, maize grains, and cornflakes.
  • 15.39% of samples tested positive for GM maize; 84.61% were negative.
  • GM maize traced to locations in Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

Background on GM Foods in India:

• GM crops involve genetic alterations to enhance traits like pest resistance.
• India’s regulatory stance:
  • GM foods are not approved for commercial sale by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
  • Since March 2021, FSSAI mandates a GM-free certification for 24 food imports.
• India cultivates some GM crops, including HT Bt cotton, but commercial cultivation of GM maize and other foods remains illegal.

Coalition for a GM-Free India: Concerns and Demands

• The Coalition for a GM-Free India has flagged illegal GM crop cultivation, including:
  • HT Bt cotton (reported 15+ years ago).
  • Bt brinjal (found in Haryana).
  • GM soybean (identified in Gujarat).
• Criticisms of regulators:
  • Lack of active surveillance mechanisms and failure to address illegal GM crop cultivation.
  • No accountability or liability fixed in previous incidents.
• Potential causes of GM maize contamination:
  • Leaks during field trials or from seed stocks stored with approval by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
  • Import of contaminated maize seeds from the US and other nations.

Impact on India:

• Biosafety concerns: Illegal GM crop cultivation and product distribution threaten biosafety and biosecurity.
• Policy gaps:
  • Alleged foreign influence on GM crop policies remains under-investigated.
  • Calls for stricter monitoring of transboundary GM product movements.

What are GM Crops?

• Genetically modified crops are plants whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques to introduce new traits not naturally occurring in the species. These modifications can:
  • Increase crop resistance to pests
  • Enhance nutritional content
  • Improve drought or disease tolerance
  • Boost agricultural productivity

Key Benefits

1. Increased Agricultural Productivity

• Higher crop yields
• Better resistance to environmental stresses
• Reduced crop loss from pests and diseases

2. Environmental Advantages

• Potential reduction in pesticide use
• More efficient land use
• Crops that require less water or can grow in challenging conditions

3. Nutritional Improvements

• Biofortified crops with enhanced nutritional profiles
• Examples: Golden Rice with increased Vitamin A content
• Potential to address malnutrition in developing regions

Concerns and Challenges

Environmental Risks

• Potential impact on biodiversity
• Risk of gene transfer to non-GM crops
• Potential emergence of pesticide-resistant insects

Health Concerns

• Long-term health effects still being studied
• Potential allergenicity of modified proteins
• Uncertainty about potential unforeseen consequences

Socioeconomic Issues

• Intellectual property rights
• Dependence on multinational agricultural corporations
• Economic challenges for small-scale farmers

Source: DTE