There is an urgent need to introduce regulations on the development of genetically modified insects.
There is an urgent need to introduce regulations on the development of genetically modified insects, sometimes called ’designer insects’, claims a new report published by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, based in Washington DC, US.
The report, entitled Bugs in the System? Issues in the Science and Regulation of GM Insects, highlights the urgent need for regulatory agencies to face the challenges posed by the development of GM insects. To date in the US, only the Animal Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), US Department of Agriculture, has issued regulations dealing with GM insects and those regulations are limited to potential plant pests.
APHIS has announced intentions to regulate GM insects that transmit animal diseases, but has not yet produced those regulations.