• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.185-188
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• 2001

Genetically modified foods and food additives are derived from organisms that have been inserted foreign genetic materials by recombinant DNA techniques to improve the quality or any other pur-poses. The problems such as toxicity, allergenicity and antibiotics resistance in the safety of genetically modified foods are usually concerned. In Korea, the safety of foods is ensured by the Food Sanitation Act. Although there is no specific provision regarding the genetically modified foods in it, any foods that might cause negative effect(s) on public health or human life are prohibited to sell in the market. In order to systematically evaluate safety of genetically modified foods, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) promulgated "Guidelines regarding review of safety assessment data for genetically modified foods and food additives (KFDA Notification 1999-46)". The objectives of these guidelines are to ensure safety of genetically modified foods and food additives. In order to evaluate the safety of genetically modified foods. KFDA operates a special expert committee composed by experts from government, universities, research institutes. and consumer's unions. Recently. manufacturers and consumers are interested in the issues on safety and labeling of genetically modified foods, because of increment of imported genetically modified crops and processed foods. Since government and consumers unions have different viewpoints, their positions regarding the issue are different each other. Therefore, the regulation of labeling on genetically modified foods is prepared and should be enforced at July 2000 in Korea. in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.116-129
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• 1999

The objectives of the study mainly concentrated on identifying the political implication on genetically modified crops considering production potentials and problems. It is found that the comprehensive evaluation of the genetically modified crops could not be concluded and compromised in a word on account of the polarization and parallelism of the positive and negative benefits of genetically modified crops just like as the rail way. The genetically modified crops will be contributed to solving the food shortage problems in the world, when the issues such as food safety, ecological disturbance and loss and degradation of biodiversity can be guaranteed in transparency. And when the trade morality of the multi-national enterprises be accepted by the genetically modified crops consumers, the potentiality of genetically modified crops will be realized greatly. By the way, the first problems will be expected to be solved by scientific development. If the food safety of the genetically modified technology be verified in transparency, it will be greatly contributed to solve food problems of human beings in the world. But the second problem could not be expected to be easily solved from the view point of capital property. In conclusion, the genetically modified technology will be made a severe sense of incongruity and a seed of fire on it will be remained persistently. According to the results based on the analysing the genetically modified crops potentiality and problems, it was identified that the ex-ante preparation of counter-measures and actions on it should be necessary. Accordingly this study has recommended that how and what the R&D policy on genetically modified crops be established and suggested how to carried out the industrial and economic policy together with international negotiation, and organizational and institutional rearrangement and etc.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1150-1156
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• 2004

The GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) labeling system on raw materials has been in Korea since March 2001, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs)-derived foods since July 2001. Therefore, we designed a multiplex PCR method to ascertain the validity of the labeling system and to monitor the status of circulation for genetically modified maize (GM Maize). Five lines of GM Maize (GA21, TC1507, Mon810, NK603, and Bt176) were used, and specific primer pairs were designed to detect each line. Using this method, the different lines of GM Maize were monitored from raw products and processed foods in Korean market. Some of the maize processed foods and raw materials were shown to contain more than one foreign gene. This method was found to be effective for-detecting five different GM Maize in a single reaction.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.89-102
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• 2002

Genetically modified foods may be defined as the foods deemed as safe by current technology among the many kinds of agricultural and stockbreeding products that are now under research and development using contemporary gene-modification techniques. This study examines hotly debated arguments, both for and against genetically modified- foods, in various countries. This study also investigates consumers'rights and responsibilities. Countries that are developing and exporting genetically modified organisms(GMO) have maintained that GMO can help produce more crops while reducing labor and other production-related costs, and that the genetically modified foods signify ″the second green revolution,″ which will solve future food and environmental problems by strengthening specific nutritive substances and extending shelf-life. But consumer groups, environmental organizations. and food-importing countries are more cautious about importing and consuming those foods because the potential dangers of GMO to human bodies and the environment have not been tested thoroughly yet. South Korea, following suit with others such as EU, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, introduced a law on 'Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods', which went in effect in March, 2001, on the basis of customers'rights to make informed choices. The law takes the ″precautionary principle″ into consideration, rather than stopping at insuring ″substantial equivalence″ in developing and consuming GM foods. The actual impact of the law will depend on the level of citizens'Participation more than on the government's willingness to carry out the law. So far the level of Korean consumers'consciousness about genetically modified foods is very low. Therefore, it is hard to expect consumers to exercise their ″rights not to buy″ foods that are potentially unsafe. The Korean government must devise an effective plan to inform and educate the people about the labeling of genetically modified foods.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.791-799
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• 2016

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of genetically modified (GM) food promotion and education through the blog. Methods: Education program for consumer-oriented GM foods by the blog was developed and survey was performed by the visitors for totals of twelve weeks. The blog was formed by information (definition, mark etc.) offering style and named as "Correct knowing of genetically modified organisms (GMO)." Event was held to enhance the promotion of the blog from the week 9 to week 12. Results: Visitors of the final week increased 4 times, as compared to those of the starting the event week 9. Most of the 138 consumers (94.5%) did not have prior GMO education experience. The 97 consumers aged 20 years old showed significantly the highest ratios in the experience of blog or website (p<0.01). Comparing before and after the blog education, notification on GM foods and willingness to buy GMO products, the benefit of GMO, willingness to check GMO mark when buying GMO products showed positive change of GM foods (p<0.05). Conclusion: Over 80% answered that the blog helped to understand the GM foods. Thus, we conclude using blog is effective way of GM food promotion and education and continuous efforts are needed to maintain an active blog for the consumer's rights of knowledge about GM foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of trust, knowledge, optimism, risk and benefits on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods. A total of 326 questionnaires were completed. Moderated regression analysis was used to measure the relationships among the variables. The analysis results for the data indicated a good model fit in Model 2 rather than Model 1, in which the direct effects of trust, optimism and benefits had statistically significant direct effects on the respondents' attitudes toward genetically modified foods, while the direct effects of knowledge and risk were not statistically significant. As expected, the interaction term of risk and benefit had a significant effect on consumer attitude. Moreover, the effect of risk on consumer's attitude toward genetically modified foods was statistically significant at all levels of benefit, except at the lower benefit level. Finally, the results of this study indicated that genetically modified food developers and marketers should attach importance to the interaction effect of benefits to understand the elements of market demand and customer loyalty.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2001

We performed to evaluate the safety of GMOs for a long term exposure in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. In this study, groups often or fifteen SD rats were fed one of the following four diets for 90 days: (1) AIN-76A rodent diet only; (2) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically modified soybean from USA; (3) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically non-modified soybean from USA; (4) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically non-modified soybean from Korea. The effects of AIN-76A rodent diet containing genetically modified soybean on body weights, food uptake, water consumption, hematology, serum bio-chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, gross findings and histopathological findings were not significantly different, compared with others. Taken together, these results suggested that genetically modified soybean did not induce any toxic effects in rats treated for 90 days.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2012

This study aims to examine the effect of Genetically Modified ${\beta}$-Carotene Biofortified Rice rice developed by simultaneous expression technology in NAAS on biological immunity. Accordingly, this study added Genetically Modified ${\beta}$-Carotene Biofortified Rice 25, 50% and general rice 50% as control group into diet and provided rats with the prescribed feeds and then measured the contents of immunoglobulin and cytokine in blood. As a result, male and female IgM, IgE, male IgG1, female IgG2a and TNF-a, IL5 and IL12 showed no significant difference; male IgG2a tended to decrease dependently on the combined concentration of Genetically Modified ${\beta}$-Carotene Biofortified Rice; female IgG1 showed significance with control group, but its association with diet was not found. The higher the dietary mixing ratio, the more the male and female IFN-a and female IL-4 contents, regardless of rice variety, and it was found that female IL6 content decreased significantly, but its association with diet was not found. The risk of beta carotene-enriched rice into environment and human body has not been reported yet. The digestion of Genetically Modified ${\beta}$-Carotene Biofortified Rice can be seen as "safe" as this test result showed no big difference between general rice and Genetically Modified ${\beta}$-Carotene Biofortified Rice, and its usability is full of suggestions.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.157.1-157.1
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• 2001

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2006

In Korea, different kinds of genetically modified (GM) crops are under development, including GM-rice expressing insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) modified to change a single amino acid. In this study, amino acid (aa) sequences of modified Cry proteins were compared to that of known allergens, and Cry proteins expressed in GM-rice were identified by using Cry protein specific polyclonal antibody. The antigen-antibody reactions were compared between GM and commercial rice to assess the allergic risk of Cry proteins. This analysis showed no known allergen to have more than 35% aa sequence homology with modified Cry proteins in Bt rice over an 80 aa window or to have more than 8 consecutive identical aa. Sera from allergic patients showed some IgE reactivity via immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), although no differences were seen between GM and commercial rice. Based on these results we conclude that GM rice with modified Cry proteins has no differences in its protein composition or allergenicity relative to commercial rice.