GM: no risk of allergies!

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) do not exhibit allergenic risk, indicate the results of a Portuguese study published in the journal "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology" (JACI).

The debate around the production and marketing of GMOs (this manipulation to improve the nutritional quality of plants or increase productivity) has mainly focused on the potential health risks posed by the consumption of GMOs or products derived . In addition to the potential risk of developing antibiotic resistance or toxicity of GMOs, the possibility that these products promote the development of allergies was also highlighted.

Indeed, without being genetically modified, of animal or vegetable origin are already an important source of allergens. Genetic engineering could therefore lead to transfer to another body of a gene encoding a protein with allergenic properties.

Rita Batista, the Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr. Ricardo Jorge in Lisbon, and colleagues sought to clear the risk associated with the consumption of GMOs, assessing the impact of three maize varieties (developed to resist certain insects ravaging crops) and a variety of soybean (designed to resist Roundup, a widely used herbicide), the seeds were placed on the market in the 90s. Some of the products tested are in the range of U.S. giant Monsanto, the others being marketed by the Swiss company Syngenta and the German Bayer. No GMO evaluated in this study contain genes from a proven source of allergens, Portuguese researchers note.

Their study focused on a group of adults and children prone to allergies have already consumed products containing GMOs at one time or another since these products were authorized in Europe.

The 77 participants underwent

nasopharyngitis

by intradermal to see if they react differently to GM products, as well as conventional corn and soybeans. The tests used to diagnose allergies involve injecting a small amount of allergen under the skin of the patient. The allergy assessment was completed by specific IgE.

These tests were positive in patients with a history of sensitivity to corn and soybeans, local inflammatory reactions observed in these tests are showing comparable with all the products tested, whether genetically modified or unmodified. Moreover, none of the participants had developed detectable antibodies against the proteins introduced into transgenic plants concentrations.

"Transgenic products tested appear to show safe in terms of allergenic potential," write the authors, however, require systematic testing after completion of the marketing of these products to detect the occurrence of any awareness encoded by the introduced genes proteins in transgenic plants.