Herbicide-tolerant maize (NK603)

The applicant, Monsanto Company, presented a safety dossier for the genetically modified maize line NK603. This dossier contains molecular biological, nutritional and toxicological information. The reference is a conventional maize line with a history of safe use within the European Union.

The modified maize line differs from a conventional line, due to the presence of the cp4 epsps gene and its expression product, the CP4 EPSPS protein. The inserted gene is of bacterial origin and renders the maize plant tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. Two consecutive copies of this gene are present at a single location in the DNA of NK603 maize.

Committee

• Prof. dr LM Schoonhoven, emeritus professor of entomology; Wageningen University and Research centre, chairman
• Prof. dr CAFM Bruijnzeel-Koomen, professor of dermatology/allergology; Academic Hospital Utrecht
• Ir EJ Kok, toxicologist; State Institute for Quality Control of Agricultural Products, Wageningen
• Dr CF van Kreijl, molecular biologist; National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• Prof. dr P van der Laan, professor of statistics; Technical University Eindhoven
• Dr B Loos, Committee on Genetic Modification, The Hague, advisor
• Dr F Nagengast, gastro-enterologist; Academic Hospital Nijmegen
• Dr JMA van Raaij, food physiologist; Wageningen University and Research centre
• Prof. dr G Schaafsma, professor of nutrition; TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist
• Prof. dr EG Schouten, professor of epidemiology; Wageningen University and Research centre
• Dr GJA Speijers, toxicologist; National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• Prof. dr WJ Stiekema, professor of bioinformatics; Wageningen University and Research centre
• Ir R Top, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; The Hague, advisor
• Prof. dr WM de Vos, professor of microbiology; Wageningen University and Research centre
• Dr RA Woutersen, toxicologist; TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist
• dr CMA van Rossum, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific staff member