Animal nutrition and genetic modified organism (GMO)

During the last few years animal nutrition was confronted with genetic modi fied organism. The significance will be increased in future. Primarily it i s true for feeds, but also for microorganisms and in the future probably fo r genetic modified animals. Based on these the following questions could be of interest for animal nutrition: - To demonstrate substantial equivalence of GMO, if no important ingredient s were modified in feeds, - To follow the ways of "foreign DNA" in animal body if GMO are fed, - To demonstrate nutritional effects of changes of composition of GMO, - To demonstrate effects of genetic modified micro-organism, - To determine energy and nutrient requirements of transgenic animals. Pres ently the first two questions are of interest for animal nutritionists beca use of anxieties and feeling of unease among the population. Available data show that substantial equivalence of GMO to isogenic control feeds is give n if genetic modification does not significantly influence important ingred ients of feeds. Future aspects of research are discussed in the paper.