See also late post about the carcinogen acrylamide in hash browns, fries, coffee...
JR Simplot Potato Variety "Innate" with low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruise - The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking public comments on a petition filed by Simplot " ... seeking a determination of nonregulated status of potatoes designated as Innate™ potatoes (events E12, E24, F10, F37, J3, J55, J78, G11, H37, and H50), which have been genetically engineered for low acrylamide potential (acrylamide is a human neurotoxicant and potential carcinogen that may form in potatoes and other starchy foods under certain cooking conditions) and reduced black spot bruise ..."
Document Title: The title of the May 3, 2013 USDA APHIS Federal Register Notice is "J.R. Simplot Co.; Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Potato Genetically Engineered for Low Acrylamide Potential and Reduced Black Spot Bruise"
Organization: The May 3, 2013 Federal Register Notice was signed on April 29, 2013 by Kevin Shea who is the Acting Administrator of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Summary: The following information is taken from the May 3, 2013 APHIS Federal Register Notice
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the regulations in 7 CFR part 340, "Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant Pests or Which There Is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests," regulate, among other things, the introduction (importation, interstate movement, or release into the environment) of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering that are plant pests or that there is reason to believe are plant pests. Such genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products are considered "regulated articles."
The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide that any person may submit a petition to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a determination that an article should not be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of § 340.6 describe the form that a petition for a determination of nonregulated status must take and the information that must be included in the petition.
APHIS has received a petition (APHIS Petition Number 13-022-01p) from the J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot) of Boise, ID, seeking a determination of nonregulated status of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) designated as Innate™ potatoes (events E12, E24, F10, F37, J3, J55, J78, G11, H37, and H50), which have been genetically engineered for low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruise. Acrylamide is a human neurotoxicant and potential carcinogen that may form in potatoes and other starchy foods under certain cooking conditions. The petition states that these potatoes are unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, therefore, should not be a regulated article under APHIS' regulations in 7 CFR part 340.
As described in the petition, Innate™ potatoes have been genetically engineered through the insertion of genetic elements from potato or wild potato (a group of related plant species that are sexually compatible with potato) using Simplot’s Innate™ technologies. Simplot’s Innate™ technologies allow researchers to isolate genetic elements from any plant genome, rearrange them, or link them together in desired permutations, and introduce them back into the genome, without incorporating anything other than plant DNA. Innate™ potatoes are currently regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Interstate movements and field tests of Innate™ potatoes have been conducted under notifications acknowledged by APHIS.
Field tests conducted under APHIS oversight allowed for evaluation in a natural agricultural setting while imposing measures to minimize the risk of persistence in the environment after completion of the tests. Data are gathered on multiple parameters and used by the applicant to evaluate agronomic characteristics and product performance. These and other data are used by APHIS to determine if the new variety poses a plant pest risk.
Paragraph (d) of § 340.6 provides that APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register providing 60 days for public comment for petitions for a determination of nonregulated status. On March 6, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13258-13260, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0129) a notice 1 describing our process for soliciting public comment when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms. In that notice we indicated that APHIS would accept written comments regarding a petition once APHIS deemed it complete.
1 To view the notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!
In accordance with § 340.6(d) of the regulations and our process for soliciting public input when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms, we are publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will accept written comments regarding the petition for a determination of nonregulated status from interested or affected persons for a period of 60 days from the date of this notice. The petition is available for public review, and copies are available as indicated under ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. We are interested in receiving comments regarding potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. We are particularly interested in receiving information regarding the extent of true potato seed use for planting in the United States as compared to the use of asexually propagated fragments of potato tubers. We are also interested in receiving comments regarding biological, cultural, or ecological issues, and we encourage the submission of scientific data, studies, or research to support your comments. We also request that, when possible, commenters provide relevant information regarding specific localities or regions as potato growth, crop management, and crop utilization may vary considerably by geographic region.
After the comment period closes, APHIS will review all written comments received during the comment period and any other relevant information. Any substantive issues identified by APHIS based on our review of the petition and our evaluation and analysis of comments will be considered in the development of our decisionmaking documents.
As part of our decisionmaking process regarding a GE organism’s regulatory status, APHIS prepares a plant pest risk assessment to assess its plant pest risk and the appropriate environmental documentation--either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS)--in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to provide the Agency with a review and analysis of any potential environmental impacts associated with the petition request. For petitions for which APHIS prepares an EA, APHIS will follow our published process for soliciting public comment (see footnote 1) and publish a separate notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of APHIS’ EA and plant pest risk assessment. Should APHIS determine that an EIS is necessary, APHIS will complete the NEPA EIS process in accordance with Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508) and APHIS’ NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR part 372).
Go to the Federal Register Notice for additional information and details
Source: May 3, 2013 APHIS Federal Register Notice
Comments Due By: July 2, 2013
Web site: The May 3, 2013 APHIS Federal Register Notice is posted at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/
A May 2, 2013 APHIS Registry Notice, titled "USDA Announces Availability of Petition for Nonregulated Status and Extension of a Determination of Nonregulated Status" is posted at
http://content.govdelivery.
http://content.govdelivery.
Contact: Questions about the petition may be directed to Dr. Rebecca Stankiewicz Gabel who is the Chief of the Biotechnology Environmental Analysis Branch , Environmental Risk Analysis Programs of the USDA APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services Unit in Riverdale, Maryland at 301 851 3927; e-mail: Rebecca.L.Stankiewicz-Gabel@
Copies of the petition are available from Cindy Eck at 301 851 3892; e-mail: Cynthia.A.Eck@APHIS.USDA.gov
Over at Kevin Folta's we find:
Potatoes are wonderful. They are tasty, versatile and easy on the wallet. I like potatoes.
When spuds are cooked at high temperatures something unfortunate happens. Asparagine, a necessary amino acid, reacts with reducing sugars producing acrylamide. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin and potential carcinogen. We used to use it in molecular biology to sequence DNA, back in the 80's and 90's. We'd wear lab coats, gloves and masks when handling the stuff...
The Pundit Posted:
Acrylamide in Foods: A Review of the Science and Future Considerations
David R. Lineback, James R. Coughlin, and Richard H. Stadler
occurrence, formation, mitigation, health risks, management
Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 2012. 3:15–35
Abstract
Acrylamide occurs in foods commonly consumed in diets worldwide. It is formed from the reaction of reducing sugars (e.g., glucose or fructose) with the amino acid asparagine via the Maillard reaction, which occurs during heat processing of foods, primarily those derived from plant origin, such as potato and cereal products, above 120◦ C (248◦ F). The majority of epidemiological studies concerning potential relationships between acrylamide consumption and different types of cancer have indicated no increased risk, except with a few types that warrant further study. Efforts to reduce the formation of acrylamide in food products have resulted in some successes, but there is no common approach that works for all foods. Reduction in some foods is probably not possible. The results from a major toxicological study (aqueous intake of acrylamide by rats and mice) are in the process of being released. The status of current knowledge in these areas is reviewed.
...MITIGATION/REDUCTION STRATEGIES
Significant efforts at a global scale have been undertaken to devise strategies that reduce acrylamide in the main foods of concern, encompassing potato products, cereal-based products (biscuits and bakery wares, breakfast cereals, bread, and crisp bread), and coffee. Over the past five to six years, the experiences of the food industry and scientists working on acrylamide mitigation in the pertinent product categories have been collated in a guidance document termed the Food Drink Europe [FDE, formerly termed the CIAA (Confederaton of the European Food and Drink Industries)], Toolbox (FDE 2011). Many of the approaches defined in the FDE Toolbox have recently been summarized in a Codex, Code of Practice for the Reduction of Acrylamide in Foods document (Codex 2009). The Codex paper covers the important food groups, and analogous to the FDE Toolbox, addresses the main avenues of mitigation at the different stages of manufacture, i.e., raw material, ingredient (recipe), and food processing (heating). This section summarizes the main reduction measures identified in these two key documents for potato and cereal-based products.
The Pundit Posted:
Acrylamide in Foods: A Review of the Science and Future Considerations
David R. Lineback, James R. Coughlin, and Richard H. Stadler
occurrence, formation, mitigation, health risks, management
Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 2012. 3:15–35
Abstract
Acrylamide occurs in foods commonly consumed in diets worldwide. It is formed from the reaction of reducing sugars (e.g., glucose or fructose) with the amino acid asparagine via the Maillard reaction, which occurs during heat processing of foods, primarily those derived from plant origin, such as potato and cereal products, above 120◦ C (248◦ F). The majority of epidemiological studies concerning potential relationships between acrylamide consumption and different types of cancer have indicated no increased risk, except with a few types that warrant further study. Efforts to reduce the formation of acrylamide in food products have resulted in some successes, but there is no common approach that works for all foods. Reduction in some foods is probably not possible. The results from a major toxicological study (aqueous intake of acrylamide by rats and mice) are in the process of being released. The status of current knowledge in these areas is reviewed.
...MITIGATION/REDUCTION STRATEGIES
Significant efforts at a global scale have been undertaken to devise strategies that reduce acrylamide in the main foods of concern, encompassing potato products, cereal-based products (biscuits and bakery wares, breakfast cereals, bread, and crisp bread), and coffee. Over the past five to six years, the experiences of the food industry and scientists working on acrylamide mitigation in the pertinent product categories have been collated in a guidance document termed the Food Drink Europe [FDE, formerly termed the CIAA (Confederaton of the European Food and Drink Industries)], Toolbox (FDE 2011). Many of the approaches defined in the FDE Toolbox have recently been summarized in a Codex, Code of Practice for the Reduction of Acrylamide in Foods document (Codex 2009). The Codex paper covers the important food groups, and analogous to the FDE Toolbox, addresses the main avenues of mitigation at the different stages of manufacture, i.e., raw material, ingredient (recipe), and food processing (heating). This section summarizes the main reduction measures identified in these two key documents for potato and cereal-based products.
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