Washington, D.C. - 06/11/2002 - The science needed for
government regulators to assess allergies in genetically
engineered foods could be greatly improved, according to a new
report issued today from the Pew Initiative on Food and
Biotechnology. The report, "A Snapshot of Federal Research on
Food Allergy: Implications for Genetically Modified Food," found
that nine federal agencies or institutes currently supervise 33
food allergy research projects totaling between $4.2 and $7
million, but that those funds are spread thin and with little
coordination among federal agencies or between research teams.
Moreover, the study found that the existing research focuses on
known allergens such as peanuts and milk, and that almost no
studies examine the allergenicity of novel proteins potentially
introduced by foods created through biotechnology. In other
words, the funds that have been committed to address the problem
are not being strategically allocated to ensure research needs
and opportunities are fully met. Food al