APHIS Issues Regulatory Status Review Responses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk as relative to non-modified comparators:
- Bayer Crop Science, sugar beet with herbicide resistance.
- CoverCress, pennycress with reduced glucosinolates (sulfur-containing compounds), erucic acid, fiber, and poly-unsaturated fatty acid content in seed, increased oleic acid content in seed, and reduced seed shattering.
- Hjelle Advisors for CoverCress, pennycress with reduced glucosinolates, erucic acid, and fiber in seeds.
- Moolec Science, soybean with meat protein in seeds and antibiotic resistance.
APHIS found these modified plants were unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated plants. As a result, they are not subject to regulation under 7 CFR part 340. From a plant pest risk perspective, these modified plants may be safely grown and bred in the United States.