Abstract

Transgenic technologies avails new ways that alter plants and animals to be better suited for applications in food, feed, and processing. The ability to express foreign genes and proteins opens the door to producing many commercially important industrial and pharmaceutical products. However, despite the promise of these technologies, there are many concerns about the environmental impact of genetically engineered food plants and how to contain them. Risk assessment and monitoring are vital for this industry: the regulatory agencies aimed to monitor the specific environment and public health hazards associated with GE food and organisms. In the United States, the FDA, USDA, and EPA are responsible for these regulations. Several agencies in other countries also monitor GE foods and frame guidelines for the safe application of recombinant genes in agro-industries. This article gives an overview on the tracking of GE DNA in foods and the general public's concerns about them. The role of regulatory agencies are also summarized in regulating GE products while ensuring the public health.