ABSTRACT Regulatory policy for transgenic livestock is being developed concurrently with several rapidly advancing technologies for creating such animals. Adequacy of ethical, welfare, physiological, and environmental criteria applied to the selection of transgenes will have substantial implications for acceptance. Concurrent evolution of regulatory policy and oversight will determine whether the existing collaboration of animal drug, veterinary biologic, environmental, and food safety agencies is appropriate. Industry infrastructure that interfaces with regulation, such as animal identification, genetic evaluation, diagnostics, and marketing practices, will also be challenged by transgenic innovation. Regulatory programs, especially those involved with diagnostics, laboratory analyses, trade in animals and animal products, and disease eradication will likewise require reassessment. Regulatory policy and industry practices associated with transgenic livestock, and the welfare, safety, and quality characteristics of these innovations, must be effectively communicated to achieve consumer acceptance.
Implications
Scientists engaged in the development of transgenic livestock intended to supply food must recognize that regulators and society currently regard gene transfer as a distinct departure from traditional animal breeding practices. In this environment, developers of transgenic technology should consider animal health and welfare and key societal concerns, such as environmental impact, food quality and safety, to be as important as enhanced productivity. Regulatory requirements for transgenic livestock are not yet definitive but clearly have the potential to affect existing regulatory and industry practices in such important areas as animal health and diagnosis of disease, trade certifications, recording of animals' identification and ancestry, genetic evaluations, and product identity and traceability.
Key Words: Food Safety, Genetics, Regulations, Transgenic Animals
© 2001, by the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.
J. Anim. Sci. 2001. 79:E1-E11
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