Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Feature
  • Published:

Are Bt crops safe?

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 1003–1009 (2003)Cite this article

The US EPA's analysis of Bt crops finds that they pose no significant risk to the environment or to human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Biopesticides Registration Action Document (BRAD)—Bacillus thuringiensis Plant-Incorporated Protectants, US EPA, October 15, 2001. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/bt_brad.htm

  2. Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 340, Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant Pests or Which There is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests.

  3. Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 174, Procedures and Requirements for Plant-Incorporated Protectants. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/index.htm

  4. Title 7, United States Code, §§ 136–136y, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

  5. Title 21, United States Code, §§ 301–397, Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

  6. US National Academy of Sciences. Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants: Science and Regulation (National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2000). http://www.nap.edu/books/0309069300/html/

  7. StarLink Corn Regulatory Archive, US EPA. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ biopesticides/pips/starlink_corn_archive.htm

Download references

Acknowledgements

Edward Brandt, Doug Gurian-Sherman, Linda Hollis, William Jordan, Suzanne Krolikowski, Sharlene Matten, Felicia Wu Morris, Willie Nelson, Alan Reynolds, Robyn Rose, Sasha Sicks, Brian Steinwand, Toby Tiktinski, Gail Tomimatsu, Robert Torla, Michael T. Watson and Chris Wozniak also contributed by being part of the EPA's Bt Crop Reassessment Teams.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Pesticide Programs,

    Mike Mendelsohn, John Kough, Zigfridais Vaituzis & Keith Matthews

  2. Office of General Council of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

    Mike Mendelsohn, John Kough, Zigfridais Vaituzis & Keith Matthews

Authors
  1. Mike Mendelsohn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John Kough
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zigfridais Vaituzis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Keith Matthews
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mendelsohn, M., Kough, J., Vaituzis, Z. et al. Are Bt crops safe?. Nat Biotechnol 21, 1003–1009 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0903-1003

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0903-1003

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing