Composition of grain, forage, and processed fractions from second-generation glyphosate-tolerant soybean, MON 89788, is equivalent to that of conventional soybean (Glycine max L.).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 by design analogy (agricultural field trial and compositional chemistry analysis; non-human/non-clinical).
PubMed 18498166 · doi:10.1021/jf073087h
What was done
Researchers evaluated the compositional and nutritional equivalence of the second-generation glyphosate-tolerant soybean event MON 89788 (containing the cp4 epsps gene cassette) relative to a near-isogenic conventional control (A3244) and commercial reference varieties (used to define 99% tolerance intervals). Crops were grown across 10 field sites in the United States and Argentina during the 2004–2005 seasons. Forage, seed, and four processed fractions (defatted toasted meal, refined/bleached/deodorized oil, protein isolate, and crude lecithin) were analyzed for proximates (protein, fat, ash, moisture), fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, antinutrients, vitamin E, and phosphatides.
What was found
The authors reported that MON 89788 is compositionally and nutritionally equivalent to conventional soybean varieties in commerce. The abstract reports no numerical values, concentrations, or statistical test statistics.
Why it matters
Demonstrating compositional equivalence between genetically modified crops and conventional counterparts is a key regulatory benchmark for establishing that gene insertion has not altered baseline macro- and micronutrient profiles.
Limits
The abstract does not provide raw numerical data, variance estimates, or exact sample replicate sizes. Chemical composition analysis alone does not measure feeding performance, toxicity, allergenicity, or human health outcomes.
Cited by
- supports Commercial soybean oils are chemically extracted with hexane, sprayed with glyphosate, deodorized, and bleached during processing.