Genetic engineering plants, requirements

The USDA regulates the addition of new plants and plant products into the environment. Specihcally, genetically engineered plants require a permit or notihcation obtained from the USDA. 

In some cases using genetic engineering, plant breeders may introduce genes into food crops that encode substances that differ substantially in struclure and funclion front substances currently found in food. Based on current developments, such substances would be expected to be proteins or protein enzymes that modify carbohydrates and fatty acids in the food. In some cases, such substances will require premarket approval as food additives in other cases, the food may require new labeling to properly inform consumers of the new attributes of the food. However, in most cases to date, the substances that occur in food as a result of gene transfer have been safely consumed as food previously or are subslanlially similar to food substances and would not require premarket review by FDA. 

It is only a matter of time before new oils will be produced from genetically engineered plants. This, however, will require in-depth studies into the mechanisms of FA and oil synthesis, and especially into the interactions between particular stages of their synthesis and the controlling mechanisms. 

---