The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has authorized a genetically engineered banana for consumption as food in Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care said that a license was granted to allow the Australian Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to commercially cultivate QCAV-4, a genetically modified (GM) variety of Cavendish banana that is highly resistant to the fungal disease Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease.

On February 16, 2024, the FSANZ announced in the Food Ministers Meeting that it had approved the QCSV-4 GM banana for human consumption. This GM banana is a normal Cavendish banana which contains a gene from the wild banana Musa acuminata subspecies malaccensis. The safety check of FSANZ found that the QCAV-4 banana is safe and nutritious compared to conventional bananas that are already in supply in Australia and New Zealand

The QCAV-4 banana is the first genetically modified banana to be approved for commercial production in the world. It is also the Australian first genetically modified fruit to be approved for growing in Australia. This GM banana is resistant to Panama Disease Tropical Race 4 (TR4). The Panama disease affects many banana plantations in Australia.

The Queensland University Technology Tropical Crops professor James Dale said that the TR4 (Panama disease ) is caused by a soil-borne fungus that stays in the ground for more than 50 years, wiping out banana crops and eradicating farms for generations.

The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care said that the license allows GM banana plants to be grown in all banana-growing areas in Australia and is subject to restrictions in some states and territories for marketing reasons. They also said that the regulator has not imposed specific measures to manage risks, as the risk assessment concluded that this release of GM banana plants poses negligible risk to the health and protection of people or the environment

The QUT has implied that currently, there are no plans to commercialize the GM banana in Australia. However, it is used as a safety net if Panama disease hits Queensland.

In the Food Ministers Meeting (FMM), the ministers are from the Australian state and territory governments, and the Australian and New Zealand governments have 60 days to request a review or ratify the FSANZ’s decision.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)