Editing Substantial equivalence (section)

{{Short description|Food safety testing method}}
In [[food safety]], the concept of '''substantial equivalence''' holds that the safety of a new food, particularly one that has been [[Genetic engineering techniques|genetically modified]] (GM), may be assessed by comparing it with a similar traditional food that has proven safe in normal use over time.<ref name="oecd">[http://www.oecd.org/science/biotrack/41036698.pdf Safety Evaluation of Foods Derived by Modern Biotechnology: Concepts and Principles] OECD (1993)</ref> It was first formulated as a food safety policy in 1993, by the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD).<ref name="agbiotechnet">{{cite journal | url=http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/schauzu.pdf | title=The concept of substantial equivalence in safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified organisms | author=Schauzu, Marianna | journal=[[AgBiotechNet]]  | date=Apr 2000 | volume=2}}</ref>

As part of a food safety testing process, substantial equivalence is the initial step, establishing [[Toxicology|toxicological]] and [[nutrition]]al differences in the new food compared to a conventional counterpart—differences are analyzed and evaluated, and further testing may be conducted, leading to a final safety assessment.<ref name="kok"/>

Substantial equivalence is the underlying principle in GM food safety assessment for a number of national and international agencies, including the [[Canadian Food Inspection Agency]] (CFIA), Japan's [[Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare]] (MHLW), the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA), and the [[United Nations]]' [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) and  [[World Health Organization]].<ref name="councilforbiotechinfo">{{cite web | url=http://thebeuselaer.weebly.com/uploads/6/3/8/4/6384873/substantial_equivalence.pdf | title=Substantial Equivalence in Food Safety Assessment | publisher=Council for Biotechnology Information | date=March 2001 | access-date=6 February 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207101449/http://thebeuselaer.weebly.com/uploads/6/3/8/4/6384873/substantial_equivalence.pdf | archive-date=7 February 2016 }} () ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131227220643/http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/schauzu.pdf Page archive])</ref>