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Second Capacity Building Workshop on Food Safety Assessment of Genetically Engineered Plants

    June 3, 2025-June 4, 2025
    9:30 am - 4:30 pm
    The LaLiT
    New Delhi, India

Background

Stakeholders in South Asian countries have discussed regional harmonization of biosafety risk assessment and regulation in the area since 2014. Given the interest in advancing a consensus approach to harmonization of safety assessment of foods derived from genetically engineered (GE) plants, the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute obtained support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Emerging Markets Program (EMP) to work with these stakeholders towards a formalized approach to regional harmonization in South Asia. AFSI established an Expert Working Group (EWG) in September of 2020 with representation from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka. All experts were nominated by Competent National Authorities in their respective countries; however, they participated in the deliberations in their individual capacities. The EWG, after several rounds of drafting, review, and discussion, developed a guidance document that describes a consensus approach to the safety assessment of foods derived from GE crops for application across the participating countries, based upon the Codex Alimentarius Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA. Additionally, tailored approaches for the adoption and operationalization of the regional guidance in each of the respective countries were discussed.

Overview

As part of the operationalization of the consensus approach to safety assessment in India, the first two-day technical training program on food and feed safety assessment was implemented by the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute (AFSI), in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), on September 5-6, 2023. This training program was structured to provide risk assessors on the FSSAI GM panel with in-depth technical information about the purpose, design, and conduct of studies used to inform safety assessments of foods and feeds derived from genetically engineered (GE) plants, aligned with the consensus approach. The program helped establish a baseline understanding of the concepts and principles of safety assessment for food and feed derived from GE plants. Topics included the whole food safety assessment paradigm, toxicity and allergenicity testing, compositional assessment, animal feeding studies, data transportability, and risk communication.

A second capacity building workshop on safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from genetically engineered plants was organized on June 3-4, 2025 in New Delhi. The first day of the technical training event provided an overview of food safety assessment, regulatory frameworks, and the global regulatory landscape for foods and feeds derived from genetically engineered plants, followed by a discussion about the handling of genetically engineered plants and their derived products. The second day encouraged discussion about regulatory cooperation among participants through the use of case studies, breakout groups, and guided exercises.

Agenda

Day 1: Context for Food Safety Assessment and Regulatory Frameworks for Foods and Feeds Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants

Session I: Inaugural

June 3, 2025 | 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Time (IST) Activity Presenter
9:30 am Welcome and Introductions
Overview of the Workshop
Dr. Vibha Ahuja
Chief General Manager, Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) and Senior Advisor, South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP), India
9:40 am Introduction to the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute
September 2023 Workshop: Key Learnings
Review of the Agenda
Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
Senior Manager – Scientific Programs, AFSI, USA
9:50 am Remarks Dr. Dinesh Kumar
Chair, Scientific Panel on GM Foods, India
10:00 am Remarks Dr. Alka Rao
Advisor – Science, Standards & Regulations, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
10:10 am Keynote Address
Foods and Feeds Derived from Modern Biotechnology: An Overview of Safe Use for 30 Years
Dr. Donald MacKenzie
Executive Director, Institute for International Crop Improvement (IICI), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA
10:45 am Vote of Thanks Dr. Vibha Ahuja
10:50 am Tea Break  

 

Session II: Global Regulatory Landscape for Foods and Feeds derived from Genetically Engineered Plants

Day 1 | June 3, 2025 | 11:30 am - 1:45 pm

Time (IST) Activity Presenter
11:30 am Session Overview Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
11:35 am Regulation of Foods Produced Using Gene Technology Dr. Gaya Subramaniam
Regulatory Scientist – New Foods Section, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Australia
11:55 am Regulation of Foods and Feeds Derived from GM Plants in Brazil Dr. Galdino Andrade
Head, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina and Member, CTNBio, Brazil
12:15 pm Regulation of GM Foods and Feeds in Japan Dr. Masashi Tachikawa
Professor, Nagoya University, Japan
12:35 pm GM Regulations in the Philippines Dr. Ernelea Cao
Professor Emeritus, University of the Philippines, Diliman and Vice-Chair, Biosafety Committee – Department of Agriculture, The Philippines
1:05 pm GM Regulations in India Dr. Vibha Ahuja
1:20 pm Q&A Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
1:15 pm Lunch  

 

Session III: Handling Genetically Engineered Plants and Derived Products

Day 1 | June 3, 2025 | 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Time (IST) Activity Presenter
2:45 pm Session Overview Dr. Vibha Ahuja
2:50 pm Low Level Presence: Overview, Guidelines, and Regulations Ms. Mariana Murrone
Technical Evaluator, National Directorate of Bioeconomy, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Argentina
3:10 pm Low Risk Products Derived from GE Plants Dr. Aniruddha Raychaudhuri
Global Lead – Compositional Biology, Bayer Crop Science, USA
3:30 pm Detection Methods in Biotechnology Dr. Lalitha Gowda
Chief Scientist (Retired), Central Food Technology Research Institute, India
3:50 pm Introduction to the Case Studies

  • Scenario I: Low-Level Presence
  • Scenario II: Data Transportability
  • Scenario III: Joint Review of a GM Event Intended to be Exported as a Highly Refined Product for Food Use
  • Scenario IV: Drafting of National Guidelines– Leveraging the Experience of Other Countries
Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
4:15 pm Q&A Dr. Vibha Ahuja
4:30 pm Close of Day 1  

 

Day 2: Leveraging Thirty Years of Experience in Evaluating Genetically Engineered Plants - What We Have Learned and How We Can Move Forward

Session IV: Regulatory Cooperation and Case Studies

June 4, 2025 | 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Time (IST) Activity Presenter
9:30 am Recap of Day 1 and Session Overview Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
9:35 am Interagency and International Cooperation: The Key to Efficient Implementation of Regulations Dr. Donald MacKenzie
9:55 am Overview of the OECD Consensus Document on Considerations for Collaborative Work on the Safety Assessments of Foods and Feeds Derived from rDNA Plants Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
10:15 am Breakout Groups: Discussion on the Case Studies Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj, Dr. Vibha Ahuja, and Group Facilitators
11:00 am Tea Break  
11:30 am Regulatory Cooperation Around Agricultural Biotechnology in Latin America Dr. Pedro Rocha
Coordinator for Biotechnology and Biosecurity, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Costa Rica
11:50 am African Union Member States and the Approval of GMOs for Direct Use for Food, Feed, or for Processing (FFPs) Ms. Modupe Adeyemo
Programme Officer – Food Safety, African Union Development Agency New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), South Africa
12:10 am Breakout Groups: Discussion on Case Studies (continued) Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj, Dr. Vibha Ahuja, and Group Facilitators
1:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm Development of the Health Canada – Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Safety Assessment Sharing Initiative Mr. Jordan Bean
Senior Scientific Project Coordination Biologist, Health Canada
2:20 pm The South Asia Harmonization Initiative: Progress So Far and The Way Forward Dr. Vibha Ahuja
2:40 pm Information Resource: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Approaches Portal Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
2:50 pm Menti-Guided Discussion on Case Studies
Q&A
Post-Event Survey
Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj
3:50 pm Close of Workshop (tea served)  

 

Speakers

Modupe Bamidele Adeyemo

Senior Programme Officer, African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), South Africa

Modupe Bamidele Adeyemo is a Senior Programme Officer with the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), a program of the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD). She is a scientist with a master’s degree in microbiology and a results-oriented safety professional with more than 25 years of experience in food, biosafety, and medicines regulatory systems. Since joining AUDA-NEPAD in 2018, Modupe has supported African Union Member States in strengthening national capacities to establish and implement functional biosafety regulatory systems. Previously, she served in Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where she held several positions of increasing responsibility. Her work is focused on advancing biosafety governance as a key pathway to improving food security and promoting socio-economic development in Africa. She brings expertise in safety and risk analysis, stakeholder engagement, policy dialogue, and regulatory harmonization to help build sustainable biosafety frameworks across the continent.

Vibha Ahuja, Ph.D.

Chief General Manager, Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) and Senior Advisor, South Asia Biosafety Program, India

Dr. Vibha Ahuja is the Chief General Manager of Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), where she began her career in 1993. She is an expert in biosafety and regulatory affairs, particularly in relation to genetically modified organisms, with over 30 years of experience in the field. Dr. Ahuja is deeply familiar with the Indian biosafety regulatory framework and has contributed to the formulation and dissemination of national guidelines, as well as serving as a member of expert committees. Her work includes providing regulatory compliance support to facilitate the commercialization of biotechnology innovations. She is also actively engaged as a regional resource expert on gene-edited plants. Throughout her career, Dr. Ahuja has led numerous biosafety capacity-building initiatives in India and South Asia, delivering training through seminars, workshops, and national and international programs. She has also authored a range of publications addressing biosafety, biodiversity, and related stakeholder concerns.

Galdino Andrade, Ph.D.

Head, Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, State University of Londrina and Member, National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio), Brazil

Dr. Galdino Andrade holds a Ph.D. in microbial ecology from the University of Granada, Spain, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. He has also served as an International Research Associate at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) in Corvallis, USA. Currently, Dr. Andrade leads the Microbial Ecology Laboratory at the Department of Microbiology, State University of Londrina, Brazil. He has authored numerous international publications and book chapters and leads several research projects focused on biocontrol, including the development of bioactive products targeting bacterial and fungal plant pathogens. Dr. Andrade has been an invited speaker in China by the Chinese Biotechnology Society, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CropLife, and has collaborated on many international research projects. He has served for eight years as a member of the Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) and was a member of the technical group responsible for drafting NR 16, which regulates genome editing in plants and animals in Brazil.

Bhavneet Bajaj, Ph.D.

Senior Manager, Agriculture & Food Systems Institute (AFSI), USA

Dr. Bhavneet Bajaj joined the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute (AFSI) in July 2018 as Scientific Program Manager. She has been involved in projects related to safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from genetically engineered plants and serves as a resource person in providing technical support for capacity building programs in biotechnology. She was also the program lead for USDA-funded technical training for Chinese and Indonesian regulators and manages operations for both the Crop Composition Database and the World Nutrient Databases for Dietary Studies.

Prior to joining AFSI, Dr. Bajaj was a Visiting Scientist at the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, where she worked on carotenoid pathway regulation in tomatoes. Before then, she was Associate Investigator with the Plant Protection group at (then) DuPont, where she devised a metabolic engineering strategy for insect control in soybean. While in India, she was an Assistant Professor at Jaipur National University, where she taught genetic engineering, enzymology, and biochemistry courses to M.Sc. level students. Her research work over the past 12 years involved plant secondary metabolites of nutritional, agricultural, and medicinal importance.

Jordan Bean

Senior Evaluator, Novel Foods Section, Food and Nutrition Directorate, Health Canada, Canada

Jordan Bean is a Senior Evaluator in the Novel Foods Section of the Food and Nutrition Directorate at Health Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Western Ontario (2006) and a master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Guelph (2009). Mr. Bean began his career at Health Canada in 2009 as a scientific evaluator and has since advanced to his current role. His primary responsibilities include conducting pre-market safety assessments and contributing to the development of guidance and policy related to the safety of novel food products, including those derived from genetically engineered plants, for use in Canada.

Ernelea P. Cao, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines

Dr. Ernelea P. Cao is a Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology, majoring in genetics, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a sandwich program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. Outside the university, Dr. Cao serves as Vice-Chair of the Department of Agriculture–Biosafety Committee (DA-BC), a member of the Department of Agriculture’s Technical Advisory Group on Modern Biotechnology and Other Innovations for Agriculture and Fisheries (DA-TAG-MBI), and a member of the Technical Panel for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Nanotechnology of the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). Her research on coffee genomics and cyanobacterial biotechnology has been published in SCOPUS-indexed journals.

Lalitha R. Gowda, Ph.D.

Chief Scientist (Retired), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), India

Dr. Lalitha R. Gowda is the former Chief Scientist of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore, where she served until her retirement in 2014. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Baylor University in Texas, USA, and completed post-doctoral training at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK. With over three and a half decades of professional experience, Dr. Gowda specialized in structural biology of plant proteins, protein engineering, analytical biochemistry, and food safety. She has published more than 90 peer-reviewed research articles in reputable journals and has held numerous advisory and leadership roles in food safety and biotechnology regulation. These include serving as a member of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India; a former member of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Chair of the Scientific Panel on GM Foods; and an independent member of the Scientific Committee of FSSAI. She currently chairs FSSAI’s RAFT (Risk Assessment, Food Testing and Analytical Tools) Committee. Known for her deep technical expertise and globally recognized contributions to food analysis and safety, Dr. Gowda continues to remain active in training and knowledge dissemination post-retirement. She has received multiple accolades for her contributions to both teaching and research.

Dinesh Kumar, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist (Biotechnology), Bioinformatics Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI), India

Prof. Dr. Dinesh Kumar is a Principal Scientist in the Bioinformatics Division at the  Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in New Delhi, a position he has held since 2012. He previously served as Professor, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Director of the Office of International Affairs at the Central University of Haryana (2021–2023), and as Senior Scientist at the ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal (1997–2012). He holds undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees in biotechnology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, and earned his Ph.D. in 1997. Dr. Kumar also holds law degrees (LL.B. and LL.M.) from Kurukshetra University, a postgraduate diploma in technology management from the University of Hyderabad (where he was awarded a Gold Medal), and a diploma in intellectual property rights from IGNOU, New Delhi. He completed post-doctoral fellowships at Iowa State University, USA, in 2003–2004 and 2007–2008.

Dr. Kumar currently chairs the GMO and Foods Scientific Panel of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He has served as a member of the DST/SERB Task Force in plant sciences (2020–2023). With over 100 research publications in high-impact journals and more than 50 patents and copyrights, his notable scientific contributions include the world’s first cow genome sequencing (Science, 2009), discovery of the dwarfism gene in U.S. beef cattle (PNAS, 2009), and development of the world’s first DNA signature server for plant varieties (Scientific Reports, 2019). He is also known for his work on wheat microbiomes and bioethanol production. In addition to his research, Dr. Kumar is a motivational speaker, provides free career counseling to students, offers legal support to academic victims, and is actively involved with orphanage initiatives.

Donald MacKenzie, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Institute for International Crop Improvement (IICI), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA

Dr. Donald MacKenzie is the Executive Director of the Institute for International Crop Improvement (IICI) at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. He manages the IICI’s programs and partnerships dedicated to delivering precision genetics technologies to meet the most significant food and nutritional security challenges faced by smallholder farmers. Don’s extensive experience in plant product development and global regulatory processes aligns with the Institute’s commitment to collaborate with international and local partner organizations to deliver crops with improved disease and pest resistance, yield, and nutritional content to places where people are in most need. Dr. MacKenzie’s lab works on the development of plant transformation systems for legume crops, such as cowpea and chickpea, with a focus on introducing novel insect resistance traits.

Dr. MacKenzie received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of British Columbia and began his research career with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and was one of the first researchers in Canada to transform potato for virus resistance. Since then, Don served in various leadership roles in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, and in Dupont Pioneer, where he was the regulatory and government affairs leader for Canada and the global regulatory lead for the company’s canola program.

Don joined the Danforth Center from the International Rice Research Institute after serving as the regulatory and stewardship leader of the Golden Rice project, securing food safety approvals in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United States, and propagation approval in the Philippines. During his time at the Danforth Center, Don has played a critical role in achieving the deregulation of virus resistant cassava for Africa (VIRCA) in Kenya and of pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea in Nigeria and Ghana.

Mariana L. Murrone

Technical Evaluator, National Directorate of Bioeconomy, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Argentina

Mariana L. Murrone holds a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Buenos Aires and a master’s degree in international business relations from the National University of Tres de Febrero. She currently serves as a Technical Evaluator at the National Directorate of Bioeconomy under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina. Her work focuses on the regulatory assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the evaluation of biomaterials, and the development of public and international policy frameworks. Previously, she worked as a Technical Assistant at the National Seed Institute, where she coordinated special biotechnology projects and served as Argentina’s representative to CONABIA, a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Reference Center in Biosafety. Mariana has actively participated in international cooperation initiatives, providing technical guidance and presentations on GMO regulation and field control practices to delegations from Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Alka Rao, Ph.D.

Advisor–Science, Standards & Regulations, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), India

Prof. Dr. Alka Rao is a distinguished protein engineer and molecular microbiologist with over 15 years of research experience. She currently leads the Science & Standards & Regulations divisions at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), where she collaborates with more than 250 experts to develop food safety standards, guidance documents, codes of practice, and regulatory frameworks. Dr. Rao also serves as the liaison officer with the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Enquiry Point for the WTO-SPS Committee.

Her scientific contributions include the discovery of rare bacterial enzymes and the successful launch of a microbial agricultural product. She has led 22 research and development projects, published over 50 international papers, and secured seven granted patents out of more than 15 filed. Her societal impact was recently featured in a Nature (UK) “Career Feature” in February 2024.

Dr. Rao is an active member of the global scientific community, serving as an Associate Editor for Chemical Papers, a member of the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports, and part of the Executive Council of the Proteomics Society of India. She has contributed her expertise to numerous government bodies, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Education, the Department of Biotechnology, and the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority.

She played a pivotal role in amending India’s Biological Diversity Act of 2002 and in shaping national positions on digital sequence information and access and benefit sharing. As Chairperson of FSSAI’s Scientific Panel on Food Additives, she was instrumental in aligning Indian standards with global norms.

Dr. Rao’s outreach work includes advocacy for the “Eat Right India” campaign within the deaf community and contributions to CSIR and DST public engagement initiatives. She has received over 15 awards and fellowships, including the Zero Project Award 2024 and recognition from the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). In 2023, she was honored as one of the “Women Scientist Achievers” in CSIR laboratories.

Aniruddha Raychaudhuri

Global Composition Biology Lead, Bayer Crop Science, USA

Aniruddha Raychaudhuri is a distinguished leader in the biotechnology industry with over 15 years of experience and global recognition for his expertise as a mechanistic enzymologist and crop biochemist. His pioneering research has led to the discovery of novel metabolic enzymes in crops that improve stress tolerance and optimize nitrogen use, contributing significantly to agricultural sustainability. Since joining Monsanto, now Bayer Crop Science, in 2008, he has led numerous research and development projects and played a key role in advancing product pipelines and establishing public-private partnerships worldwide.

Ani has held international leadership roles that have been instrumental in expanding biotechnology initiatives across Asia. As a Bayer Senior Science Fellow, he has contributed to strategic projects aimed at addressing climate change and reducing food waste. He currently serves as the Global Composition Biology Lead, where he provides both scientific leadership and strategic advisory.

With over 15 peer-reviewed publications and 12 patents to his name, Ani is a dedicated advocate for scientific integrity and sustainability. He actively engages in science outreach and public education, efforts that have earned him the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Award under both President Obama and President Trump. His work reflects a deep commitment to advancing biotechnology and combating misinformation in the field.

Pedro Rocha, Ph.D.

Coordinator for Biotechnology & Biosecurity, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Costa Rica

Dr. Pedro Rocha is a biologist from the National University of Colombia with a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology and molecular biology from the University of East Anglia and the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom. He currently serves as International Specialist and Coordinator in Biotechnology and Biosafety at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Costa Rica. In this role, Dr. Rocha supports agricultural ministries across IICA’s 33 member countries by providing guidance on policy development, training, and communication in biotechnology and biosafety.

He has played a key role in the development of regulatory frameworks for bioinputs, living modified organisms (LMOs), and genome editing (GnEd) in 14 Latin American countries. His extensive professional background includes postdoctoral research at The Sainsbury Laboratory (UK), as well as roles in Colombia as a researcher at Corpoica (now Agrosavia), research assistant at CIAT, Director of Biotechnology at Cenipalma, and consultant to the National Planning Department (DNP). Dr. Rocha’s career reflects a strong foundation in science, regulation, and international cooperation.

Gaya Subramaniam, Ph.D.

Regulatory Scientist, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Australia

Dr. Gaya Subramaniam is a Regulatory Scientist at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), where she works on a range of food regulatory matters alongside a team of biotechnology scientists. She holds a Ph.D. in plant molecular biology from the University of Queensland and completed postdoctoral research at several Australian universities before joining FSANZ in 2021. Her work includes conducting safety assessments of genetically modified (GM) foods and evaluating other applications of biotechnology in the food sector. Dr. Subramaniam is currently involved in FSANZ’s ongoing efforts under Proposal P1055, which focuses on defining how foods produced using existing, emerging, and future genetic technologies should be regulated under food law.

Masashi Tachikawa, Ph.D.

Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan

Dr. Masashi Tachikawa is a Professor at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan. He previously served for over two decades at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) before transitioning to academia. His research focuses on the sociology of food and agriculture and on science, technology, and society (STS) studies. Dr. Tachikawa specializes in the regulatory and societal dimensions of biotechnology and other emerging technologies, examining their impacts on the food system and society at large. He has authored several books and numerous journal articles, particularly addressing genetically modified and gene-edited crops from a social science perspective. In 2019, he received an academic award from the Agricultural Economics Society of Japan for his book on the European Union’s policy of coexistence with genetically modified crops.