APHIS Issues Regulatory Status Review Responses
Media Contact:
Rick Coker
(301) 851-4091
richard.s.coker@usda.gov
WASHINGTON, December 21, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently reviewed four plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk as relative to non-modified comparators:
- BioHeuris, modified cotton and modified soybean for herbicide resistance.
- PlantArcBio, modified soybean for herbicide resistance.
- Bayer Crop Science, modified corn for herbicide 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.