Australasia assesses genetically modified cotton

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has accepted applications from Bayer CropScience and Syngenta for the approval of food ingredients derived from genetically modified cotton. FSANZ's initial assessments of the applications are open to public comment until February 6th 2008.

 

Bayer is seeking clearance for glyphosate-tolerant GlyTol cotton (GHB614), which is being developed for cultivation in major cotton-producing countries worldwide. The company applied for USDA deregulation of GlyTol cotton last year and started food-use consultations with the Food and Drug Administration. Bayer submitted regulatory applications to the Canadian authorities this year. In 2006, Bayer applied to test two glyphosate-tolerant cotton lines, GHB614 and GHB623, in Spain in 2006-09.

 

Syngenta has applied for approval of insect-resistant COT67B cotton. The cotton line expresses the Bt Cry1Ab toxin for the control of lepidopteran pests such as cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa zea), tobacco budworms (H virescens), pink bollworms (Pectinophora gossypiella) and cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni). Syngenta has been testing COT67B in the US under experimental use permits and plans to continue testing until 2009. The company has made regulatory submissions to the US authorities and will seek import approvals from countries such as Japan, Canada and Mexico, FSANZ notes.