APHIS Publishes Three Regulatory Status Reviews

In September, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued the first three regulatory status review responses under the revised biotechnology regulation. All three modified plants (tomato altered in color and nutritional quality; corn altered for feed quality; and potato altered to reduce browning) were found to be outside the jurisdiction of the biotechnology regulation (CFR 340). The characteristics in the corn and potato were developed using gene editing. The regulatory status review request letters and the APHIS response letters can be found here. The three reviewed plant-trait-mode of actions (PTMOA) are now listed in the table of PTMOA combinations that have been determined by APHIS to not require regulation under the biotechnology regulation and qualify for exemption under CFR 340.1(c).