Regulatory agencies approve Golden Rice
GR2E Golden Rice has completed its third positive food safety evaluation, bringing the Golden Rice one step closer to people struggling with Vitamin A deficiency (VAD).
According to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) sent an official statement concurring with IRRI’s assessment on the safety and nutrition of Golden Rice.
The US FDA response comes after the approvals from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and Health Canada in February and March 2018, respectively. These three national regulatory agencies base their assessments on concepts and principles that were developed over two decades by international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
IRRI Director General Matthew Morell said that these safety standards observed by the US FDA and other agencies serve as model for decision-making in all other countries that wish to benefit from Golden Rice.
Moreover, with each regulatory application that Golden Rice is able to complete, it becomes one step closer to being accessible to the “people who need it the most” — particularly those who are struggling with Vitamin A deficiency, which includes an estimated 250 million preschool age children.
Golden Rice provides 30-50% of the estimated average requirement for Vitamin A of children and women. It is the first nutritionally enhanced genetically modified rice to obtain regulatory approval for use in food.
via Manila Bulletin
