nextThe safety of GM crops has been assessed since 1982 and a huge body of peer-reviewed, scientific literature attests to the safety of the commercially available GM crops, which have been subjected to a thorough risk assessment process before release was approved. To date, after almost 20 years of large-scale commercial production, no adverse effects on human health due to the consumption of GM foods have been documented.
South Africa has a rigorous regulatory framework, which has been fully functional for more than 18 years, the regulators will only approve a GM crop for commercial release if all the stringent safety standards, including post-release risk management requirements, have been met. Foods derived from approved GM crops are as safe as their conventional counterparts. Consumers can rest assured that GM crops approved for commercial release in South Africa have undergone extensive safety assessments and that they have met all the stringent requirements set by all the relevant national and international regulatory frameworks.
