Safety & First Aid, Biotechnology 

Biotechnology has been used in food production and processing for thousands of years and embraces both traditional breeding methods and new techniques based on molecular biology. The widespread application of these newer techniques could have an enormous impact on our ability to provide food for the world's rapidly increasing population. It will, however, be essential to ensure that the food sources produced are safe for human consumption.

This report presents the conclusions of an international group of experts, convened by FAO and WHO to consider strategies and procedures for assessing the safety of food produced by biotechnology. The Consultation reviewed the current and potential applications of biotechnology to food production and formulated a number of recommendations. In particular, it considered that, from the point of view of safety, there was no fundamental difference between traditional products and contemporary ones obtained by means of biotechnology. Any safety assessment should be based on the molecular, biological, and chemical characteristics of the material to be assessed, and these considerations should determine the need for, and scope of, toxicological studies in animals. The Consultation also noted that biotechnology was developing rapidly, and considered that the present report should be seen as a first towards reaching an international consensus on this important topic.