APHIS Issues Regulatory Status Review Responses
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 relative to non-modified comparators:
- GDM Seeds, modified soybean for drought tolerance.
- BioHeuris, modified soybean for herbicide resistance.
- Michigan State University, modified potato for lowered glucose and fructose in tubers.
- ZeaKal, modified soybean for increased seed oil and protein.
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.