Compositional and toxicological analysis of a GM potato line with reduced α-solanine content – A 90-day feeding study in the Syrian Golden hamster

New food from a potato somatic hybrid: nutritional equivalence and safety assessment by a feeding study on rats

“…The blood biochemical analyses as well as animal organs (liver, kidneys, pancreas and spleen) studies have been widely used to evaluate the nutritional and safety of diets. 17,30,35 These organs presented a normal size in each test group of rats fed with potatoes even though minor histopathological findings in the liver of rats fed diet with hybrid tubers were observed. They were considered accidental, since they can be sporadically found in other rat groups and there was no relevance with biochemical parameters 29 or any other clinical findings.…”

“…Only small significant differences were observed with regard to the dry matter and main nutrients: starch and proteins. These differences remained within published literature ranges . The small variations in the levels of key nutrients were already accepted by the industry and for commercial purposes.…”

“…The blood biochemical analyses as well as animal organs (liver, kidneys, pancreas and spleen) studies have been widely used to evaluate the nutritional and safety of diets . These organs presented a normal size in each test group of rats fed with potatoes even though minor histopathological findings in the liver of rats fed diet with hybrid tubers were observed.…”

Letter in response to the letter to the editor of archives of toxicology by Woegerbauer et al. (2016)

“…So far, it has not been shown that rodent feeding trials are a sensitive test system to identify adverse effects induced by whole GM food/feed and that they are more sensitive than other available methods. The limitations of the approach have not only been demonstrated by the GRACE project but also, e.g., by analyzing GM potatoes with an altered glycoalkaloid spectrum (Langkilde et al 2012). Therefore, the GRACE team suggested to follow an overall approach that is based on the identification of triggering findings (e.g., by a detailed analysis of the plant material composition), which in turn may justify an animal feeding trial with whole GM food/feed.…”

“…Rodent feeding trials with whole GM food/feed performed according to the OECD Test Guidelines, in contrast to those with chemicals, have failed to demonstrate this degree of sensitivity (see, e.g., Langkilde et al 2012). (7)“In our opinion the selection of certain project partners was not as optimal as would have been required by the demanding specific conditions related to toxicity testing of GMOs in whole food and feed.…”