Is there potential for an increase in antibiotic resistance in humans resulting from the use of antibiotic resistance marker genes in GM foods?
Antibiotic resistance marker genes are sometimes used in the development of GM plants to facilitate the selection of cells that have been transformed with the gene of interest. The antibiotic resistance gene provides a selective advantage to the transformed cell enabling it to grow and divide in the presence of the antibiotic. Cells that have not been transformed will not survive. It has been suggested that ingestion of food containing copies of antibiotic resistance genes could facilitate the transfer of the gene to bacteria inhabiting the gut of animals and humans. It is argued that these genes may then be transferred to disease causing bacteria and that this could compromise the therapeutic use of antibiotics. This is one of the many issues that FSANZ considers during the food safety assessment. Although theoretically possible, horizontal DNA transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from food products to gut microorganisms is regarded as a rare possibility because of the many complex
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