Feeding animals with GM crops: Boon or bane?

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) crops with higher yields and better quality are currently being used in the feeds of livestock and fishes. Despite the advantages, there are concerns about GM-feeds including their effect on animal health, performance and safety of the consumers of animal products like milk, meat, egg and fish. Studies are conducted to assess the feeding efficiency of GM-crops in livestock feeds. The safety aspects of these feeds are also examined in considerable number of experiments. Results from some of the feeding trials indicate that GM-crops are substantially equivalent in terms of composition, digestibility and feeding value. Transfer of transgenic DNA and protein from GM-crops to animal products is a critical safety concern that is also being examined. In the present article, efforts have been made to review different safety concerns of GM-feeds in livestock and fishes.