Note: DuPont scientists conducted a review of current scientific literature about the impact of crop biotechnology on feed and livestock. Our intention is to provide a synopsis of the current scientific understanding of this topic, so this report is not exhaustive. This information will be updated from time-to-time. We welcome new scientific information and, of course, your perspective.

1. Introduction - Biotechnology Crops as Animal Feed
2. Background - Assessing Nutritional Quality and Food Safety
3. Background - Digestion of Feed and Food
4. Summary of Results

Between 60 to 70 percent of the corn and soybeans produced in the United States goes to feed livestock. This includes crops improved through biotechnology. Just as consumers want to know more about the safety of biotech crops for human consumption, farmers and feed producers seek to understand the nutritional quality of animal feed made from biotech crops. They also want to know about the safety, composition and nutritional quality of animal products, such as milk, meat and eggs. A number of tests that assess these areas are performed before biotechnology products are marketed.

In summary, studies show that animals fed grains or forage produced via biotechnology do not differ in performance, yield or composition when the product is equivalent to its conventional counterpart for safety and nutrition. The same is true for animal products such as milk, meat and eggs.

The Ag Biotech Stewardship Technical Committee created a presentation (288KB) [.pdf] about the impact of plant biotech on animals. Information specific to animal performance begins on slide 57.

Prior to marketing products from biotechnology, DuPont works with regulatory agencies in the U.S. and many other countries to assess product equivalency to its conventional counterpart for nutrition, food safety and agronomic performance. We also conduct studies to evaluate possible differences in the grain or forage produced from biotech and conventional crops.

Tests to determine equivalency are widely accepted. The process includes several biochemical tests for key components such as essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids. In addition, anti-nutrients, endogenous toxicants, known and potential allergens and other physiologically active components are evaluated. In addition, DuPont voluntarily conducts or supports animal studies of feed intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency to provide still more data.  » More

DNA is made up of genes. Genes contain information used to make proteins. Animal diets consist of hundreds of thousands of proteins, including those from products of biotechnology. Therefore, it’s helpful to understand how proteins and DNA are digested.

3.1   Protein Digestion

Proteins are either indigestible and excreted in the feces, or digestible and used to fuel animals’ activities and provide nutrients for growth. Hydrochloric acid and enzymes in the stomach begin to break digestible proteins into smaller fragments immediately. As the proteins move into the small intestine, other enzymes continue to split the fragments into single amino acids and short peptides. Virtually all proteins become single amino acids or peptides (very small chains of 2 or 3 amino acids) before entering an animal’s bloodstream.

This means that whole proteins are not absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach or intestine, but rather enter the bloodstream as very small peptides and amino acids. This routine process allows proteins to be used as fuel and prevents them from changing biological activity within animals or humans.  » More

3.2   DNA Digestion

DNA introduced into plants via biotechnology is made of the same components as all other DNA. Generally, the total amount of DNA in feed is miniscule, contributing only about 0.02 percent to the total mix. The amount of DNA improved by biotechnology is yet a smaller proportion of the total. However, the process of DNA digestion is the same whether it comes from a biotech or a conventional crop. Whole, intact genes do not pass from the small intestine into the bloodstream. In fact, studies show that more than 50 percent of the plant DNA in animal feed is broken down in the first third of the intestine; and 80 percent is degraded by the time the food reaches the end of the small intestine. In one study, pure DNA fed to steers broke down in about 4 hours.  » More

4.1   Animal Performance

There have been dozens of animal performance and DNA detection studies with beef and dairy cattle; broiler and layer chickens; swine; sheep and catfish. Results of the studies indicate no difference in food intake, weight gain, feed efficiency, and other measurements of animal performance, whether biotech crops or their conventional counterparts were involved. Biotech and conventional corn, soy, canola and sugar beets have been compared in these studies.  » More

4.2   Composition of Animal Products

Since some nutrient components from feed or forage are present in milk, meat or eggs, companies, including DuPont, also evaluate this aspect. Research shows no difference in nutrient profiles of milk, chicken breast meat or fish fillets.  » More

4.3   DNA in Animal Products

The World Heath Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have concluded that there is no inherent risk in consuming DNA. The reason: mammals have always consumed DNA from a wide variety of sources including plants, animals, yeast and bacteria. Biochemically, DNA from biotech crops is identical to DNA already present in foods and eaten on a daily basis.  » More

Several studies have been conducted to search for an introduced protein. The results show no detection in poultry (muscle, liver, egg whites, egg yolks, mid gut tissue) or ruminants (milk, muscle, spleen). In two other studies, plant DNA fragments were detected in white blood cells but not in milk, while DNA from biotech crops was not detected in animal tissue.  » More

However, DuPont scientists expect that the application of advanced, increasingly sensitive analytical techniques may make DNA of biotechnology crops detectable in animal products. Even so, scientific evidence concludes that ingested DNA is not incorporated in animal tissue.  » More