Public discourse on genetically modified (GM) foods tends to focus on those aspects of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology that heighten concerns about the potential risks of GM foods. Despite this focus of concern, a wide range of GM foods exist, including those that are modified by conventional approaches, the safety of which has not been assessed in detail. Also in contention is the likelihood of unintended effects with adverse health consequences in foods derived from crops genetically modified by more modern techniques such as rDNA, compared to those derived from crops modified by conventional techniques. Divergent views exist regarding the methods by which unintended effects should be detected and monitored. With advances in genomic technology, boundaries between conventional and modern approaches to genetic modification may become blurred. There is the need for a reliable method to efficiently differentiate GM foods that require more extensive testing and regulatory oversight from those that do not, regardless of the method of modification.
I propose a risk-based classification scheme (RBCS) to differentiate foods derived from GM crops based on levels of concern reflecting their potential to produce human health risks. Two categories of health effects are included in the scheme: (1) the potential for toxic/antinutritional effects, and (2) the potential for allergenic effects. To differentiate the sources of uncertainty about GM food risks, intended and unintended changes are classified separately with respect to potential toxic/antinutritional effects. Factors that may affect the level of risk are identified for each category of adverse health effects. Criteria for differentiating potential health risks are developed for each factor. The extent to which each factor satisfies the applicable criteria is rated separately. A concern level for each category of health effects is then determined by aggregating the ratings for the respective factors.
This thesis describes the factors, criteria, and aggregation rules used in determining concern levels in the proposed RBCS and the process used in its development. An exploratory evaluation of selected functional aspects of the scheme is provided. The implications of the classification scheme for the graded testing of GM foods are also discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/29630 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Chao, Eunice |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 718 p. |
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