<p style="text-align: justify;">The composition of cottonseed and oil from Bt cotton hybrids (Event-1) was compared to that of non-Bt cotton hybrids and other conventional cotton varieties. The nutrients measured in the cottonseed included protein, fat, fiber, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, and the anti-nutrients gossypol, fatty acids and aflatoxins. All these analysis revealed that Bt cotton hybrids are equivalent and as safe and nutritious as non-Bt hybrids and other conventional cotton varieties. Also the nutritional studies in cows revealed that no difference on feed intake, milk yield and composition between Bt and non-Bt cotton seed feed groups of cow as well the safety studies confirmed the food and feed safety of Bt cotton to cows</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Feeding experiments conducted with Bt cotton seed meal on fish chicken, goat and cows indicated that Bt cotton seed meal is nutritionally equivalent and safe as the non-Bt cottonseed meal.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The feeding experiments were conducted from different institutes in India in which Central Avian Research Institute (CARI), Izatnagar (UP) ICAR conducted studies on Bird; IVRI, Izatnagar on goat and cow; Central Institute of Fisheries Education (Deemed University, ICAR), Mumbai on fish.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The mammalian acute oral toxicity of Bt protein was studied in rat and the specificity and safety of the Cry1Ac protein was recorded. No toxic effects were observed even at extremely high dose levels (5000 mg/kg of body weight), when the Cry1Ac protein was administered orally to rats. Also the sub-chronic oral toxicity study on rat revealed the Cry1Ac protein found safe to animal health. The Cry1Ac protein expressed in the cotton plant is not expected to present a risk of dermal or inhalation toxicity. The proteins that are non-toxic by the oral route are not expected to be toxic by the dermal or pulmonary route. This was confirmed by the study conducted on irritation test to skin and mucous membrane in rabbits and dermal sensitization study in guinea pigs. All these oral toxicity and irritation tests were conducted at Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, New Delhi Feeding studies on ruminants (goat) showed that Bt cottonseed when fed, it was as nutritious as non Bt cotton seeds and did not cause any deleterious effect on the ruminants in comparision to non-Bt cotton seeds. Nutritional studies on lactating cows conducted in IVRI, Izatnagar reconfirm these conclusions.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The toxicological studies on chicken and fish under Indian conditions confirmed the safety of cottonseed meal derived from Bt cotton.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Studies conducted to determine the presence of Cry1Ac protein in refined oil and lint obtained from Bt cotton showed absence of Cry1Ac protein at the detection standard of the experiment. Similarly studies conducted to determine the presence of Cry1Ac gene in cottonseed oil obtained from Bt cotton by using forward and reverse primers specific for internal sequence of the Cry1Ac gene, reveal no DNA amplification in the oil samples.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Source: India Biosafety Clearing House<br />
(<a class="sbar" href="http://www.indbch.nic.in/risk_assessment_jk.asp" target="_blank">http://www.indbch.nic.in/risk_assessment_jk.asp</a>). Last accessed 26 February 2009.</i></p>
