The nutritional and health effects of four biotech potato events, E12, W8, X17, and Y9, were evaluated in a subchronic rodent feeding study. E12 contains pSIM1278 insert DNA derived from potato and designed to down regulate potato genes through RNAi. These changes result in reduced black spot and reduced acrylamide. W8, X17, and Y9 contain the DNA inserts from pSIM1278 and pSIM1678 to further reduce acrylamide and express a gene from wild potato that protects against late blight. Rats were fed diets containing 20% cooked, dried potatoes from these four events and three conventional potato varieties. Compositional analyses of the processed potatoes and the rodent diets demonstrated comparability between the four events and their respective conventional varieties. Rats consumed the diets for 90 days and were evaluated for body weight, dietary intake, clinical signs, ophthalmology, neurobehavioral parameters, clinical pathology, organ weights, gross pathology, and histopathology. No adverse effects were observed as a result of test diet consumption. These results support the conclusion that foods containing E12, W8, X17, or Y9 potatoes are as safe, wholesome and nutritious as foods from conventional potato varieties.
Keywords: Animal feeding trial; Biotechnology; Food safety assessment; Risk assessment; Solanum tuberosum L.
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