Genetic engineering in the dairy factory: facts and perspectives

Although genetic engineering and biotechnology are considered to be the key technologies of the 21st century, their application in the food sector is increasingly criticized. Particularly in the dairy sector, genetic engineer ing is used with an extreme reticence at the manufacture of milk products. This results in a considerable discrepancy between the future perspectives of applying genetic engineering and its factual application. The aim of thi s paper is to show how far genetic engineering is already involved in the m anufacture of milk products, and to describe the perspectives of future app lications of genetic engineering. The focus lies on the perspectives for ge netic modifications of the acid bacteria used for fermentation purposes, an d on possibilities of genetic engineering (methods and techniques) for modi fying these bacteria. For some of these possibilities, it could be demonstr ated within a scientific safety assessment that the risks are similar to th ose incurred during spontaneous events. These examples exhibit that a discu ssion about genetic engineering "in tote" is futile: Purpose and risks of g enetic modifications should, by principle, only be discussed for each indiv idual case.