IntroductionNumerous genetically modified plant products that provide protection against insect damage or viral disease, tolerance to environmentally preferred herbicides, modified oils, enhanced fruit ripening and other traits are already in the marketplace. As of the end of 1997, approximately 48 different genetically modified plant products had been approved for marketing in at least one country (1). These products and those being developed, undergo rigorous food, feed and environmental safety assessment prior to entry into the marketplace (2). The food safety assessment includes the evaluation of the safety of any newly expressed protein(s), including assessing any concerns relative to the toxicity or allergenicity of the protein(s).Scientific experts from the Allergy and Immunology Institute of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) and the International Food Biotechnology Council (IFBC) recently published an extensive scientific consensus report entitled 'Assessment of the Allergenic Potential of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Crops' (3) that specifically addressed allergenicity assessment. This report briefly summarizes the key findings and recommendations of that report, which was the culmination of over two years of extensive work. The joint publication contains eight different articles; the first seven of which provide background information on food allergy and plant biotechnology. Hefle et al. (4) provided a detailed catalogue of the reports of allergenic reactions to food and information on the types of data provided in these reports. Extensive information on the biochemical characterization of major food allergens (5, 6) and tests that are used to detect and diagnose specific food allergens (5) were also described. Peter Day provided a broad background on plant proteins (7) and plant biotechnology (8). The final article in this series (3) provided recommendations for a thorough step-wise process to evaluate the allergenic potential of foods derived from genetically modified plants.