食品伙伴網(wǎng)導讀：歐盟食品安全局（EFSA)轉(zhuǎn)基因生物（GMO）專家組已經(jīng)采用了來自各方的意見，并發(fā)布了評估轉(zhuǎn)基因植物和微生物源性食品及飼料的致敏性風險和應對策略的科學意見。這份科學意見是歐盟食品安全局所做的持續(xù)努力的一部分，長久以來歐盟食品安全局一直致力于確保其風險評估總是反映最新的科學發(fā)展以及可解決最廣范圍內(nèi)的潛在問題。

    本次公眾咨詢?yōu)槠谑?，收到?7個相關團體的181份意見，這些團體包括：國家評估機構(gòu)、非政府組織、商業(yè)協(xié)會、大學以及個人。評論主要討論了如何實現(xiàn)轉(zhuǎn)基因生物的致敏性評估的一般方法，以及如何在輿論中解釋。有些意見還涉及更多的技術方面，意見請見本文下方的第二個鏈接。

    轉(zhuǎn)基因食品和飼料可能含有新的或現(xiàn)存的可能導致人與動物的食物過敏的蛋白。因此，歐盟法律規(guī)定，轉(zhuǎn)基因生物食品和轉(zhuǎn)基因生物源性飼料須進行致敏性評估，才可以投放市場。

    食品安全局的轉(zhuǎn)基因生物專家組開始此項工作以便審查和更新用于評估轉(zhuǎn)基因植物及微生物致敏潛在可能的方法。在發(fā)布的意見中，小組的結(jié)論是：由于沒有一個統(tǒng)一的測試可以用來評估基因改造食品或飼料，只能對案例逐一評估，根據(jù)證據(jù)權重的方法是檢測致敏性最恰當?shù)摹?br />
    意見中，專家小組介紹了如何分析的蛋白質(zhì)序列，以確定它是否可能與已知過敏原相似；如何測試蛋白質(zhì)可能與特異性抗體結(jié)合（暗示它們可能會引發(fā)過敏性反應）；以及如何評估消化過程中蛋白質(zhì)的分解。除了評估新的蛋白質(zhì)，小組建議，除了已知含有過敏源的農(nóng)作物，所有轉(zhuǎn)基因植物都需進行致敏性測試。

  歐洲食品安全局于7月29日發(fā)布的兩篇相關科技文獻：

• 轉(zhuǎn)基因植物微生物源性食品及飼料的致敏性評估的科學意見
• 對“轉(zhuǎn)基因植物微生物源性食品及飼料的致敏性評估的科學意見”公眾咨詢意見的結(jié)果

原文報道：

EFSA’s Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Panel has adopted a scientific opinion on strategies for assessing the risk of allergenicity of GM plants and microorganisms and derived food and feed. This opinion is part of EFSA’s ongoing effort to ensure that its risk assessment always reflects the latest scientific developments and addresses the widest range of potential concerns. Recommendations in the opinion are provided to update and complement EFSA’s allergenicity assessment of GM plants and microorganisms and derived food and feed.

The final opinion takes into consideration a total of 181 comments, received during a 10-week public consultation, from 17 interested parties including: national assessment bodies, non-governmental organisations, business associations and universities, as well as individuals. Comments mostly addressed the issue of how to implement the general approach for assessing the allergenicity of GMOs, as well as how to interpret the results of the methods discussed in the opinion. Some comments also covered more technical aspects and are addressed in a series of specific annexes to the opinion.

GM food and feed could contain quantities of new or existing proteins which might cause food allergies in people and animals. EU legislation therefore requires that the allergenicity of GMOs and food and feed derived from GMOs be assessed before they can be placed on the market.

EFSA’s GMO Panel initiated this work in order to review and update current methodologies used to assess the allergenic potential of GM plants and microorganisms. In its opinion, the Panel concludes that, as there is no single test to assess the allergenicity of a GM food or feed, a case-by-case evaluation based on a weight-of-evidence approach is the most appropriate way to do this.

In the opinion, the Panel describes how to analyse the sequence of the proteins in order to identify possible similarities with known allergens; how to test the potential of the proteins to bind with specific antibodies (suggesting they could trigger an allergic reaction); and how to assess the breakdown of the protein during digestion. In addition to assessing the new protein, the Panel recommends that for crops known to be allergenic, the whole GM plant is tested for allergenicity.