Nutritional science for mind health products
DSM Nutritional Products
The European Nutrigenomics Organisation (NuGO) published the framework to advise scientists in some of the ethical issues surround nutrigenomics, such as the storage of genetic data, with the long-term aim to produce a European standard.
Nutrigenomics is the study of how nutrients and genes interact and how genetic variations can cause people to respond differently to food nutrients.
NuGO said yesterday that the guidelines could be used as a starting point for researchers and parties interested in the ethical principles involved in population-based genomics research.
The group also hopes scientists can add examples and comments from their own experience in order to help the guidelines develop.
Nutrigenomics has been around since the turn of the millennium and many scientists believe it could one day bring about big changes in how food is grown, processed and consumed.
One of the aims of the science is to use genetic testing to be able to tell people which kinds of foods and supplements they need to take in order to reduce the risk of certain diseases
However, nutrigenomics also raises many ethical questions about the privacy aspects of personalised foods and diets, genetic testing and the potential high cost of new functional foods.
NuGO said the guidelines - comprised of 19 principles - have been produced in response to some of these ethical concerns.
These cover rules on informed consent, genotype information and criteria for disclosure of genotype results to participants, biobanks, and use and exchange of data samples.
They are accompanied by references to relevant official and legal documents from the EU and individual European countries, NuGO said.
Also included are a list of definitions, a set of template documents chosen as examples of good practice for processes such as seeking informed consent, and a list of available bioethics training courses within Europe.
A spokesperson said: "The guidelines are based on principles for which there is a general consensus within the EU, and conform to the legal standards set out in various EU Directives."
The guidelines are not a legal document and that the ethical approval for nutrigenomics research will depend on the legal standards found in individual Member States.
Many countries have begun their own nutrigenomic projects to get a head start in the field. New Zealand and the Netherlands both have national programs. In the US, several universities have established centers of excellence, like the University of California, Davis and Pen State University.
However, four personalized nutrition companies - Sciona, Genelex, Market America, and Suracell - were last July named by the US Government Accountability Office for having "misled consumers by making predictions that are medically unproven and so ambiguous that they do not provide meaningful information" by offering over the counter nutrigenomic tests.