Equivalence criteria in the safety evaluation of a genetically modified crop

Document Type

Presentation Abstract

Presentation Date

3-16-2015

Abstract

The safety evaluation of a genetically modified (GM) crop is accomplished by establishing its substantial equivalence to conventional non-GM food crops with a history of safe use. Toward this end, equivalence testing rather than difference testing is the more appropriate statistical approach. A pivotal step in this process is to specify a reasonable equivalence criterion that encompasses a measure of the discrepancy between the GM and reference crops as well as a regulatory threshold. We explore several possible equivalence criteria and discuss their pros and cons. Each criterion will be shown to address one of three ordered classes of equivalence. Their implications will be examined over an array of parameter values estimated from a real-world dataset. Furthermore, our literature search indicates that the linear mixed model proposed by the European Food Safety Authority is adequate for assessing substantial equivalence despite its lack of genotype-by-environment interaction terms.

Additional Details

Monday, March 16, 2015 at 3:10 p.m. in Math 103
4:00 p.m. Refreshments in Math Lounge 109

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