National referral laboratory opened at Peradeniya Uni

A national referral laboratory at a cost of US$ 250,000 was opened by the University of Peradeniya’s Vice Chancellor Prof. M.D.Lamawansa this week.

Prof. Lamawansa said this laboratory will serve the country well, and will also make people aware of modified food. The purpose of the laboratory, he added, is for the categorising and identification of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

Dr. Padma Abeykoon, an official of the Environmental Ministry, said biotechnology was the main technology used in the agricultural sector to develop or create useful products; however GMOs created with modern biotechnology had many benefits and risks. They could have adverse impacts on biological diversity and human health, some which were yet to be identified, she said. Dr.Abeykoon also said Sri Lanka had ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2004. The Environmental Ministry was the national focal point for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, while the biodiversity secretariat which was under the ministry, implemented the plans made.

She stressed that scientific evidence was needed to identify if GMOs were safe for consumption; however it was difficult for consumer to trust such crops as they were not entirely natural. This was where GMO technology analysis came into play.

The testing helped to properly label the products and provide the consumer adequate information so they could decide whether they wish to consume the product or not. Laboratory analysis was important for this risk analysis process as well, she added.

The implementation of Sri Lanka’s national biosafety framework was in accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety which was being implemented by the Environmental Ministry through the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), since 2017, Prof. Lamawansa said.