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Public Health implications of Food Biotechnology
An Information/Learning Tool for Public Health Professionals
This section contains questions, brief answers and further information about food biotechnology issues in public health. It is meant to inform public health professionals of all disciplines about the issues in a learner-friendly way, to enable them to:
(a) direct questions from the public
(b) determine if and how these issues affect the work they do
(c) become more involved in advocacy if they desire.
The OPHA Food Biotechnology workgroup, during the year 2001, developed a position paper for OPHA entitled: Protecting Our Food Supply: Public Health Implications of Food Biotechnology. They presented their recommendations at the 2001 OPHA Conference, and fielded questions from OPHA members. In the following year, they have also received questions from the media and presentations at individual health units. The workgroup has listed the questions most often posed to them, and categorized them under the 8 issues below.
The workgroup has attempted to present this information in a non-biased, evidence-based way. In all cases references are given, and can be checked at their original source. Food biotechnology is a new and growing field, and huge data gaps exist. It is also highly political in nature. For these reasons, information from various sources can sometimes be different and even conflicting.
There is no single "right" answer to any of the questions below. It is important for public health professionals to understand that food biotechnology can potentially impact public health in all areas: environmental (including food safety and ecological sustainability), economic and social.
You can learn more about any of the issues below by clicking on it and on the hyperlinks within the text. Each issue is also formatted to fit one or two letter-sized page back-to-back, if you want to print it.
Issue 1: We need the ability to assess post-market incidence of allergy or toxicity
related to food biotechnology. Issue 2: We face uncertainty regarding the impact of altered nutrient content of future genetically engineered (GE) foods. (coming soon) Issue 3: What are the impacts of genetic engineering on the environment and on farming? (coming soon) Issue 4: Food biotechnology can potentially impact food accessibility & affordability (in Canada and globally). (coming soon) Issue 5: There is concern regarding growing corporate concentration in the agricultural industry. (coming soon) Issue 6: Consumers do not have freedom of choice regarding the source of their food. Issue 7: The federal regulatory system in its present format may be inadequate for ever-changing aspects of food biotechnology. (coming soon) Issue 8: Scientific data and regulatory decisions are not available to health professionals or anyone else (not transparent). (coming soon)
Questions on this issue? Email us at foodbiotech@opha.on.ca.
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