BIOSAFETY ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION OF GENETICALLY-MODIFIED LACTOCOCCUS-LACTIS SPP IN THE PRODUCTION OF FERMENTED MILK-PRODUCTS

The past decade has shown enormous progress in the understanding of mi crobial genetics and has resulted in the ability to genetically modify lactic acid bacteria for the production of fermented foods. However, before these genetically modified micro-organisms can be applied in th e actual manufacture of fermented foods the biological safety aspects related to their use in fermentations, release into the environment an d consumption by animals and humans need to be assessed. Because the d irect application of generically modified micro-organisms in food invo lves the intentional intake of usually high numbers of live microorgan isms by the consumer, the biosafety assessment is especially complicat ed. The assessment of the risk, i.e. the product of hazard and exposur e, was started by monitoring the survival and the dissemination of ind ustrial lactococci in products, the environment and the human gastroin testinal tract. The transfer of generic information was evaluated by a nalysing conjugal transfer in different environments (during fermentat ion and cheese making). Transfer of pAM beta 1 between environmental i solates belonging to different species of Lactococcus was established, resulting in a better knowledge of the ecological fare of genetic inf ormation from lactococci. Based on the low survival in the environment and the regular gene transfer rates it was concluded that consumption of lactococci that are modified by deletion of genetic information or another selfcloning procedure in a fermented milk product, will not i nfluence the potential hazard of the consumption.