The OECD Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds (Task Force) addresses aspects of the safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from genetically engineered crops. The work aims to ensure that the types of elements used in risk/safety assessment, bem como os métodos para coletar essas informações, são tão semelhantes quanto possível entre os países.
The approach is to compare transgenic crops and derived products with similar conventional ones that are already known and considered safe in their use, based on recognised experience. Harmonised methods and practice, as well as share of data are facilitated through the Task Force activities.
The main output is the set of consensus documents on compositional considerations of new varieties of specific crops. These documents compile a common base of scientific information on the major components of the plants and their derived products: key nutrients; toxicants; anti-nutrients; and allergens where relevant. Other publications deal with general aspects to facilitate harmonisation in safety assessment. These documents constitute practical tools for regulators and risk assessors dealing with new transgenic varieties, with respect to human food and animal feed safety. A data, sobre 20 Consensus Documents have been published on major crops and mushrooms, the animal feedstuffs, as well as the molecular characterisation of plants derived from modern biotechnology developed in common with the WG-HROB.
The Task Force has increasingly involved the experience, scientific knowledge and interests of nonmember economies, which allows it to address a wider range of food and feed products of global interest.
Further details can be found in BioTrack Online www.oecd.org/biotrack.
(*) O sistema de informação BioTrack Online é um mecanismo pelo qual o Grupo de Trabalho sobre Harmonização em Biotecnologia e a Força-Tarefa para a Segurança de Novos Alimentos e Rações disponibilizam publicamente os resultados de seu trabalho, especialmente seus Documentos de Consenso/Orientação descritos nas seções acima. O BioTrack Online também oferece acesso público ao “Banco de dados de produtos”. Esse banco de dados permite que os funcionários reguladores compartilhem informações básicas sobre produtos transgênicos derivados do uso da biotecnologia moderna (principalmente plantas de cultivo) e aprovado para aplicação comercial em termos de alimentos, alimentação ou segurança ambiental.