Food safety and quality: OECD Unique Identifier details

Iran
Name of product applicant:	Behzad Ghareyazie
Summary of application:	insect resistant transgenic rice Tarom Mplaii line B827 to be field released and commercialized
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Date of authorization:	13/03/2003
Scope of authorization:	Food
Links to the information on the same product in other databases maintained by relevant international organizations, as appropriate. (We recommend providing links to only those databases to which your country has officially contributed.):
Summary of the safety assessment (food safety):	Safety assessment of an insect resistant “transgenic rice Tarom Molaii B827” was conducted in Iran in the year 2004, co-inciding with international year of rice. In 2004 the only regulation in place was a ministerial decree authorizing the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) to conduct risk assessment and approve the field release and commercialization of GMOs in Iran. However the risk assessment conducted by the developer and reviewed by ABRII was further evaluated by a specialized working group consisting of 3 major relevant scientific societies. Finally, this committee reported that transgenic rice is substantially equivalent to its non-transgenic rice and there is no concern releasing and using it. This event has been commercially grown in Iran till 2005. Since now there is a comprehensive Law (Biosafety act), in place all previously released LMOs are now applying for second approval voluntarily. The attached document in Farsi is the report of risk assessment conducted by the developer and approved by the said mechanism.
Upload:	Iran_BGH_00827_7.pdf
Where detection method protocols and appropriate reference material (non-viable, or in certain circumstances, viable) suitable for low-level situation may be obtained:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment:
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Authorization expiration date (a blank field means there is no expiration date)

E-mail:

gsalehi@abrii.ac.ir

Organization/agency name (Full name):

ABRII

Contact person name:

Gholamreza Salehi Jouzani

Website:

http://microbial.abrii.ac.ir/en/ShowMember/31/Gholamreza-SalehiJouzani

Physical full address:

Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Mahdasht Road, 31535-1897, Karaj, Iran

Phone number:

0098(26)32701132

Fax number:

0098(26)32701132

Country introduction:

Iran has ratified Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2003. The National Biosafety Law has also been ratified in 2009. The regulations for the National Biosafety Law have been prepared and approved during last ten years. All these laws and regulations deal with Living GMOs (LMOs) and there is no Law for the regulation of the non-living GMOs. All these laws and regulations are accessible at: http://bch.cbd.int/database/results?searchid=622770. Codex principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology and other guidelines such as the Codex guidelines for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods produced using recombinant-DNA plants and microorganisms are widely accepted and used.

The process for authorization of new LMO release includes comprehensive risk assessment and management analysis. Ministry of Agriculture (Jihade Keshavarzi) is responsible for approval of the release, import, export, transit and use of Agricultural Related LMOs. The requests should be forwarded to: ag-biosafety@areeo.ac.ir; with a CC to National Focal Point: gsalehi2002@yahoo.com. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety National Focal Point is in charge of all liaison affairs related to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and acts as the contact point for the communications received. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education is in charge with the approval of all LMOs related to food and medicine. Environmental Protection Organization is in charge with the environmental release of LMOs in the wild nature and/or related to the wild organisms. Detailed procedure for authorization of GM food and feed is under preparation.

Useful links

Laws and Regulations- Iran BCH

Decisions- Iran BCH

Risk Assessments- Iran BCH

Relevant documents

Stacked events:

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Agricultural Jihad Ministry

Tehran, Tehran

Iran (Islamic Republic of)