Import and processing of insect resistant and herbicide tolerant maize 1507 x NK603

The present application concerns the commercial import and processing for use in feed and food of a genetically modified hybrid maize line. Cultivation is not part of the application. The hybrid maize line is developed through traditional breeding of the genetically modified maize lines 1507 and NK603. These parental lines contain genes (cry1F, pat and cp4 epsps) conferring resistance to certain lepidopteran insects, and tolerance to herbicides containing the active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium or glyphosate. Maize line 1507 x NK603 is already commercially grown in the U.S.A. In the Netherlands, no wild relatives of maize are present and establishment of maize plants in the wild has never been observed. There are no reasons to assume that the inserted traits will increase the potential of the maize line to establish feral populations. Therefore, COGEM is of the opinion that incidental spillage of the hybrid maize line will pose no risk to the environment in the Netherlands. Interactions between recombinant gene products are not expected. It is sufficiently proven that no toxic or allergenic products are formed as a result of the crossing of the two genetically modified maize lines. Based on these considerations, COGEM is of the opinion that the proposed import and processing of the maize line 1507 x NK603 does pose a negligible risk to human health and the environment.