Assessment of the endogenous allergens in glyphosate-tolerant and commercial soybean varieties

A gene has been introduced into soybeans to confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup (Monsanto Co., St. Louis, Mo.) Soybean varieties expressing this trait will enable farmers to use Roundup herbicide within the crop during the growing season. Previous studies have confirmed the safety of the introduced protein (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase [EPSPS]), which confers glyphosate tolerance. Over 1400 analyses have confirmed the compositional and nutritional equivalence of the soybeans produced from the glyphosate-tolerant soybean variety to the parental soybean variety. The multiple, endogenous protein allergens previously identified in soybeans represent an additional safety concern. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the endogenous allergens in glyphosate-tolerant and commercial soybean varieties and to determine whether the genetic engineering process itself affected these components.