All genetically modified foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and no effects on human health have been shown as a result of consuming GM foods. When discussing and developing GM foods, three main safety issues are considered. The first is allergenicity, meaning the ability of the edited genes or food product to cause an allergic reaction. No allergic effects have been found relative to GM foods currently on the market. The second is the transfer of genes from GM foods to the human digestive tract. The probability of transfer is low; however, the use of gene transfer technology that does not involve antibiotic resistance genes is encouraged. Third is outcrossing, meaning the transfer of genes from GM organisms to other species. Several countries have developed preventative strategies, including clear separation of GM and non-GM food crops.
Each GM organism uses different genes and in different ways. Therefore, each GM food should be tested and their safety assessed on a case-by-case basis using international guidelines. The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization collaborate on the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which develops the standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations concerning food, including GM products
Food safety
Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances can cause more than 200 different diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. Around the world, an estimated 600 million - almost 1 in 10 people – fall ill after eating contaminated food each year, resulting in 420 000 deaths and the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs).
Food safety, nutrition, and food security are closely linked. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly, and the sick. In addition to contributing to food and nutrition security, a safe food supply also supports national economies, trade, and tourism, stimulating sustainable development. The globalization of food trade, a growing world population, climate change and rapidly changing food systems have an impact on the safety of food. WHO aims to enhance at a global and country-level the capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats associated with unsafe food.
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