KUALA LUMPUR: Imported living modified organism (LMO) products must be approved by the National Biosafety Board (NBB) before they are allowed in Malaysian markets.
Natural Resource and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Dewan Rakyat that the products must go through a biosafety analysis to ensure that the risks from the biotechnology application would be at an acceptable level.
"NBB will only approve low-risk LMO (products) which are verified safe in terms of its impacts on human and animal health as well as the ecocsystem and biodiversity.
"A guideline on processing the application of LMO products has been in place under the Biosafety Act 2007 whereby only approved products will be allowed in the country's environment," he said during an oral question session today.
LMOs are defined as any living organism that has a combination of genetic material obtained through modern biotechnology. Modern biotechnology enables gene-transferrals between different organisms.
Wan Junaidi said the Genetically Modified Advisory Committee (GMAC) which consistst of NBB-appointed experts from multiple fields would carry out the risk-evaluation process.
"The evaluation process will take into account seven factors including toxicity, allergens, the possibility of antiobiotic resistaant gene transfer in digestive tract, nutrition content, pathogenic potential and gene donor organism," he said on LMO's possible risks to humans.