On March 27, 2024, the Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission revised regulations based on safety assessment criteria that have thus far been used to ensure GM food safety, and proposed new draft Guidelines for the Assessment of Food Health Effects of Genetically Modified Foods (Seed Plants), inviting public comments on the draft guidelines.

The change from GM food safety assessment criteria to the Guidelines for Assessment of Food Health Effects is nothing less than a change in policy from a standard that requires a safety assessment to a guideline that is merely an ethical standard with one grade less regulatory power. The change from "safety assessment" to "food health effect assessment" narrows the broad scope of safety to simply food health effects, thus undermining the stance of protecting food safety.

In terms of content, it was indicated that the assessment methods be adjusted to international standards. Currently, international standards prioritize economy over safety and regulations are weakening, and thus conforming to international standards could lead to deregulation. On so-called scientific grounds, current international standards often do not prescribe regulations until problems arise, and the precautionary principle is not applied.

Unexpected effects are particularly important in GM food safety. The new guidelines remove the phrase "Sufficient data or information is required to minimize the potential for unforeseen adverse effects of genetically modified foods (seed plants) on human health" from current safety criteria, thereby simplifying safety efforts.

Last year, the labeling system for GM foods was changed such that labelling products as "non-GMO" and "no GMO ingredients used" became almost impossible, but this time the safety screening process has also been simplified.

On the same day, the Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission finalized the Partial Amendment of Safety Assessment Criteria for Additives Made Using Genetically Modified Microorganisms and invited public comments on the amendment. For GM food additives, as for foods, regulation based on safety assessment criteria was altered in favor of a new draft Food Health Impact Assessment Guidelines for Additives Made Using Genetically Modified Microorganisms. This represents a change from criteria to a guideline, and from safety assessment to food health impact assessment, with international standards being emphasized. It can be said that, as with food, safety is being deemphasized.

Pairwise, a company developing genome-edited crops in the United States, has stopped selling karashina (Brassica juncea) as a salad vegetable genome-edited to have reduced pungency and aroma and is now focusing on new products. The company said that in the future it will try to market crops such as seedless berries and cherries, and climate-smart bananas, coffee and short stature corn. (Foovo 2024/3/4)

China's He Jiankui, a former vice professor at Nanfang University of Science and Technology, who was previously involved in the birth of genome-edited babies, has resumed human genome editing using fertilized eggs. He was released in 2022 after a verdict of a prison sentence in addition to a fine in a Chinese court for having arranged for the birth of genome-edited babies in 2018. He said he has already set up labs in three locations, including Beijing and Wuhan, to resume research on human genome editing to treat intractable diseases. (Mainichi Newspaper 2024/4/1)

Cultured quail meat developed and manufactured by Australian company Vow is to be sold in Singapore. On April 4, the Singapore Food Agency approved the sale of the cultured meat. Vow became the fourth company allowed to sell cultured meat in Singapore, the United States and other countries, and the cultured quail meat is the third type of cultured meat for which marketing has been permitted, after chicken and beef. (Nikkei Biotech Online Edition 2024/4/8)

There was an intention to sell cultured meat at the Osaka Kansai Expo, but it turns out that cultured meat will simply be exhibited. Those hoping to sell cultured meat at the Expo were Shimadzu Corporation, Itoham Yonekyu Holdings, and four other companies that have formed an Osaka Future Creation Consortium with Osaka University. The idea was abandoned because there is no possibility that a new law to enable sales will be in place before the Expo, and the plan is thus simply to display the cultured meat at the Osaka Future Creation Consortium. (The Japan Agricultural News 2024/4/16)