Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001090/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Martin Häusling (Verts/ALE), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Biljana Borzan (S&D), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE)
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panels on food additives and genetically modified organisms have issued favourable opinions on soy leghemoglobin, a substance derived from genetically modified (GM) yeast that gives the Impossible Burger its ‘bleeding’ effect, mimicking undercooked beef.
- 1.How does the Commission ensure compliance with the precautionary principle and justify accepting safety data from an irrelevant yeast strain when EFSA itself advised against such an approach?
- 2.Will the Commission make EFSA’s complete risk assessment[1] on soy leghemoglobin public without any redacted or masked parts, ensuring full transparency, and reopen the public consultation on the full text to allow the public to make more informed comments?
- 3.Is the Commission considering refusing the authorisation of GM-derived soy leghemoglobin, in view of the potential risks, the incomplete EFSA assessment and the unfavourable opinion of consumers towards GM-foods?
Submitted: 13.3.2025
- [1] https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.9060.
Last updated: 2 April 2025