EU nods to GMO hen that does not produce male chicks

Eggs and laying hens from transgenic hens could be marketed in Europe without having to undergo an approval process and, above all, without any warning on the label indicating the treatment undergone. This was reported by Abl, the German Farmers' Union, and Testbiotech who disseminated the contents of a letter that the European Commission sent to the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) in July 2021. AbL and Testbiotech in response sent a joint letter to the EU Commission, in which they underline that the marketing of eggs without risk assessment or labeling would constitute a violation of EU regulations. Together they warn of a deregulation of controversial Crisp / Cas technology that would have serious consequences for consumers, food manufacturers and retailers. At the heart of the matter is a genetic modification - according to the Crispr / Cas technique - which alters and hens so that no male can hatch: a deadly gene is passed on to any male ...