New U.S. pharming rules

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new requirements for field-testing plants genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical compounds. The new requirements, to be applied to the 2003 growing season, are intended to prevent the inadvertent introduction of pharmaceutical- or enzyme-producing plants into the food chain. The USDA will not impose geographic restrictions on pharming.

The new conditions include increasing the number of field site inspections to assure compliance with regulations and permit conditions, and a restriction on the production of food and feed crops at the field test site and perimeter fallow zone in the following season. Another new requirement specifies that field-test sites for corn that has been genetically modified to express a pharmaceutical or industrial compound must be located at least one mile from fields where conventional corn is grown. ...