I wonder whether I should comment or consider this a question and answer. All GM food crops are assessed as per the guidelines of Codex or by guidelines or regulations of the respective countries. No where in the world it has been considered to have human trials. It was because most of the crop originates from a parent crop that is being used for generations and a gene or few genes have been added and the gene product is tested separately as well as food products of GM crop is tested in animals for toxicity and allergenicity.

Even if one consider adding human trails, it will not give any additional answer that we got from animal experiments except adding time and money to already extremely expensive trials.

In fact we should propose to consider like any other crop after the gene and the product selected shows that it is harmless and providing the required benefit to the crop for it was modified.

Hope I have answered your question.

Dear Dr. Dwivedi, anti-GM groups insist that GM food crops should undergo human trials. Most of us disagree. However, they claim that rat studies are not sufficient. Just like pharma compounds undergo clinical trials using human volunteers, Bt brinjal should also undergo such trials as it is consumed by humans. They simply do not believe the fact that Bt brinjal is safe. If human trials are not required by Codex, so what? Include it, they say. They also claim that there may be sufficient safety tests on Bt as a protein but none as Bt brinjal product per se. They claim that Bt protein may be safe as such but when expressed in crops, it may be hazardous to human health; therefore, prove its safety through human trials. Even if human trials do not give any additional answer from that of animal trials, still do the trials and convince us that Bt brinjal is safe as a food crop. The anti-GM group claims that Bt gene is not a plant gene and therefore, a bacterial modified gene in plants is a doubtful product; hence test the Bt brinjal through human trials; once we are satisfied, then we will allow its commercialization!

We do not eat only plant, we eat plants, animals, fungi, bacteria. I mean whatever we can think of. It is also well known that changes in plant bred crop are much more than GM crop. GM crops and their products like maize, soya, canola, are already being consumed by humans and animals. The GM cotton seed product is used in the feed and cottonseed oil is used by humans already. So there should be no fear at all if you trust scientists. Drug is a different proposition and food can not and should not be treated as drug as we all know that drug even in small overdose can be a problem where food has no such effects over a wide range. To me many of these anti GM people are ill informed and are not ready to listen and sticking to their opinion even if you are ready to give evidence in support of your logic. Hope this explains this a bit.

Dear Sir, it's all fine. However, anti-GM people tell that GM crops contain a "foreign" gene unlike plant breeding and therefore needs trials. Your argument that GM cotton seed oil is already being consumption does not answer their concern that Bt brinjal is unsafe. Besides, they equate GM food to pharma drugs since most pharma drugs are products of pharma biotechnology. They dont trust scientists and they insist that they may trust scientists once their concerns are taken care of. The one major concern or demand is to let Bt brinjal undergo human trials. They want it to be done at any cost. If Bt brinjal is the safest, then why not conduct some human trials? Just because nobody has done human trials of GM food crops anywhere in the world does not mean that trials are not necessary. What are scientists going to lose if trials are conducted and prove to the world once and for all that Bt brinjal is safe? When scientists hesitate to undertake trials, then anti-GM people will suspect more.

Who these anti GM people are and where from you got the information about GM Brinjal human trial. perhaps we fail to imagine that what will be the number of people required, time needed and where from people will be recruited. What are the tests that need to be done will also be a question. How much Brinjal will be fed and how it will be traced as in case of drug we know what is to be looked as a metabolic product in blood, urine, feces etc. Just go ahead and think about it. It will be enormous and cost too prohibitive.

This will discourage the Public sector scientists to work on GM crop as getting a crop will involve enormous cost which even now is too expensive. When GM maize and GM soya is being used for more than 10 years having Bt genes and Bt bacteria was used as pesticides on crops earlier without any side effects. I wonder what is the problem. If you still have a problem, I am sorry I will not be able to convince you.

Http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-73027896/

I agree with Dr. Dwivedi 100% and more so "This will discourage the Public sector scientists to work on GM crop as getting a crop will involve enormous cost which even now is too expensive". In precautionary science, one question may mean a life time for the research scientist!