GM crops to be fortified with Omega-3 s and new European regulations

Monsanto is one step away from receiving FDA approval for their genetically modified soybeans that will produce omega-3 fatty acids. The new soybeans will be used to produce Monsanto’s brand “steridonic acid (SDA) soybean oil” to fortify consumer food products, such as cereals and baked goods.

“This could be a beneficial, genetically improved product,” says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross, “but be that as it may, we still have a bunch of these “environmental” groups that oppose manipulating the genes of any agricultural product, no matter the real or potential benefits. The future of genetic modification for both agricultural products and pharmaceuticals (biopharming) is unpredictable but obviously vast.”

For example, if anti-GM European Union (EU) lawmakers have their way, individual EU governments will be allowed to ban such crops based on environmental or public health concerns. While that may not sound like a good idea at firstt, as some countries will take the liberty of placing further restrictions on GM crops, as ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan points out, it could also lead to countries adopting more lenient policies.

“This could be the first evidence of a loosening of GM regulation in the EU, which has been fairly solidly opposed to biotech crops based on superstition of ‘frankenfoods,’ despite all the evidence of safety over the past 16 years. For those countries who want to plant GM seeds, this policy could remove obstacles to growing them.”