Additionally, in the years since the first consultation, both FAO and WHO have provided information and guidance on food safety assessment issues through international workshops and technical consultations. The present Consultation had therefore much information from these sources to consider during its deliberations. Biotechnology provides new and powerful tools for research and for accelerating the development of new and better foods. Dr. de Haen outlined FAO's position that modern biotechnologies should be used as adjuncts to, and not as substitutes for, conventional technologies in solving problems related to food production or processing. Within the past few years, a variety of foods produced using biotechnology have been approved in many countries.
Examples are crops such as maize, potatoes, soybeans, tomatoes and oilseeds.
The benefits of biotechnology are many and include providing resistance to crop pests to improve production and reduce chemical pesticide usage,thereby making major improvements in both food quality and nutrition. However, just as with any new means of food production, there are potential human health risks that must be considered when foods are developed using biotechnology. It is vitally important to encourage worldwide efforts to develop and apply appropriate strategies and safety assessment criteria for food biotechnology research and to ensure the wholesomeness and safety of the food supply. Dr. de Haen pointed out that this underlines the importance of this Consultation in providing international guidance in this area. Dr. de Haen reminded the participants that they had been invited to the Consultation as independent experts and that their participation in the Consultation was to be in their individual capacity and not as a representative of any organization, affiliation or government.