Different GM foods come from different genetically modified organisms (GMO), and different GMOs have different transgenes inserted in their DNA in possibly different ways. Thus, it is not possible to make a generalization on the safety of all GM foods because the safety of GMOs must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, the GM products are each judged on safety, allergenicity, toxicity, nutrient levels, et. al. rather than the method used to produce them.

GM foods currently in the market have undergone more safety testing than any other non-GM food in history. The Royal Society (UK National Academy of Sciences) concluded in its 2002 report Genetically modified plants for food use and human health – an update that “There is no reason to doubt the safety of foods made from genetically modified ingredients that are currently available. Nor is there reason to believe that GM makes foods inherently less safe than their conventional counterparts.”

Since 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been conducting joint expert consultations on GM food safety. The WHO/FAO Reports concluded, “foods from modern biotechnology are inherently not less safe than those from traditional biotechnology”. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) likewise arrived at a similar conclusion, stating that “risks associated with biotechnology-derived foods are not inherently different from the risks associated with conventional ones”.

To allay fears regarding the safety of GM foods that are being imported to the Philippines, the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) of the Department of Health released a statement in September 2002, declaring that

“Based on our findings, we have determined that all processed and pre-packaged food products which are currently in the Philippine market have passed the food safety evaluation and met international food safety standards.”