Abstract:
Familiarity based approval of
the newly developed GM cereal events is
based upon the stable and safe consumption
of conventional grains. The level of
concentrations of mycotoxins and
biomolecules establishes the criteria for premarket
evaluation of genetically modified
cereals e.g. MON 810 maize. The objective
of the present study was to comparatively
evaluate food biosafety of the conventional
and GM maize. Grain samples from the
harvest lot of 10 maize hybrids in the year
2011 were collected arbitrarily. Well ground
and homogenized samples were analysed
for the deoxynivalenol (DON) and
ochratoxin A (OTA) mycotoxins.
Contamination rates and levels of DON and
OTA were low and did not exceed the
maximum levels, indicating their possible
safe use as food and feed under the EC
regulation 1881/2006.The samples were
further analysed for the possible effect of
mycotoxin concentration upon that of starch
and proteins. The study reveals the absence
of any negative impact of the presence of
mycotoxins upon these biomolecules as
their concentrations lie within the normal
range. A comparative review of data for the
mycotoxins in conventional maize grains
invalidate the argument from the producers
of GM maize hybrids that conventional
hybrids are inferior for food biosafety with
respect to mycotoxins.
