The future of bioengineered food
The debate over bioengineered food has flared up again in North America with the recent announcement that genetically modified versions of two popular foods - pork and salmon - are making their way through the regulatory approvals process. A recent feature in Maclean's magazine, "Green eggs and ham", is one of many articles taking a closer look at how society is turning to science to help address environmental concerns through food.
The Enviropig™ is a genetically enhanced Yorkshire pig developed at the University of Guelph that is able to digest the plant phosphorous in its food more efficiently than conventional Yorkshire pigs. This means that the manure produced by Enviropig™ contains lower levels of phosphorous, making it beneficial for the environment as high levels of phosphorous in lakes and streams stimulate the excess growth of algae, which reduces water quality.
AquAdvantageŽ salmon is a fish that has been modified so that it grows faster in its early stages of development. The world's fresh fish stocks are rapidly depleting, leading to the global rise of farmed fish to meet consumer demand for seafood products. Commercial aquaculture has been criticized for its environmental footprint and for being detrimental to fish health. It is hoped a more rapidly growing salmon will help alleviate some of these concerns.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently considering the approval of AquAdvantageŽ Atlantic salmon eggs. If approved, the salmon would be the first commercially available genetically engineered animal. Environment Canada has approved production of the Enviropig™ and the product is awaiting further approvals from Health Canada and the FDA.
"There's something about changing the genetics of a living organism like a fish or a pig that gets people's attention more so than a modified plant," says Rob Hannam, President of the Synthesis Agri-Food Network. "Both of these new products will address a current environmental issue but the story is much more complicated than that."
The problem, says Hannam, is the current approach to Enviropig™ and AquAdvantageŽ salmon seems to be focused largely on science-based regulatory approval as the event that will launch these products in the market place. In his opinion, although the science-based regulatory approval is paramount, little consideration seems to be given to explaining to the public why these products have been developed, who they will benefit and why they are considered to be safe.
"For these products - and others in the future - to be successful, there needs to be a focus on both regulatory approval and public education," he explains. "The introduction of novel foods into our diets is relatively new and the public wants to know it can trust the science before it'll embrace it."
"There is great potential for science to help us address environmental problems in our society," says Hannam. "It is critical we don't lose the ability to use new technologies in this way by ignoring the court of public opinion."
Insights - What can be learned from these experiences?
Focus on safety - Anyone bringing GM food products to market has to be able to clearly explain and prove the safety of those products above and beyond what is required to obtain regulatory approval. There's an element of scepticism on the part of the public towards government and regulatory systems that needs to be considered. Simply obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals will not guarantee a product will resonate with consumers or be accepted in the marketplace.
Find a champion - Consumers want to understand why a product has been developed and what problem it will solve before they will wholeheartedly embrace it, especially if it comes with an "unknown" factor. Someone other than the developer, whether consumers, farmers, environmentalists or others, has to be advocating for it - if this is the case, they'll become a champion of the product or the technology.
Highlight the need and the benefit - Everyone has their own standards for measuring potential risk against potential reward. Genetically modified meat and fish are novel products, so consumers need to be able to easily understand the need and what their benefits are so they can balance that against any perceived risk. Both the developer and the technology champion need to take an active role in this process.
