چالش‌های زیست‌محیطی، ایمنی غذایی و مقرراتی غلات مهندسی‌شده: از تراریختی تا ویرایش ژنوم مبتنی بر CRISPR

Abstract
Introduction: Cereals constitute the backbone of global food security and play a pivotal role in supplying calories and protein to the world’s rapidly growing population. As environmental challenges intensify, including climate change, water scarcity, and increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, genetic engineering technologies, ranging from conventional transgenesis in crop plants to advanced genome-editing systems such as CRISPR/Cas9, have emerged as strategic tools for improving crop productivity and quality. Nevertheless, despite their considerable technological potential, the integration of these innovations into agricultural production systems continues to face complex challenges related to food safety, environmental risks, and profound disparities in regulatory policies across countries. The present study was conducted to provide a comprehensive analysis of these challenges and to offer an updated overview of the current state of knowledge in this field.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a critical review approach to synthesize the available scientific evidence concerning food safety, environmental risk assessment, and regulatory frameworks governing genetically engineered cereals. Literature retrieval was conducted using major scientific databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, with emphasis placed on core thematic keywords. Inclusion criteria comprised scientific credibility, direct relevance to the topic, and reliance on experimental findings or authoritative international reports issued by organizations such as the WHO, FAO, and EFSA. The analysis focused particularly on issues including gene flow, unintended metabolomic alterations, impacts on non-target organisms, and differences between regulatory approaches applied to transgenic products and genome-edited crops.
Findings: The findings of this review indicate that genetically engineered crops, when subjected to rigorous scientific management and case-by-case evaluation, possess substantial potential to enhance agricultural resilience. However, the evidence suggests that the safety assessment of these products should not rely solely on the method of production, but rather on the characteristics of the final product itself. The integration of multi-omics approaches, particularly metabolomics, as a powerful complement to substantial equivalence assessments has significantly improved the detection of unintended changes in chemical composition and allergenicity. Furthermore, the widening gap between the rapid advancement of modern genetic improvement technologies and the existing regulatory frameworks in many countries represents a major challenge to commercialization and to farmers’ equitable access to these innovations.
Conclusion: None of the modern breeding technologies can be regarded as inherently safe or inherently hazardous in absolute terms. Ensuring the sustainability and safety of genetically engineered crops requires a transition toward evidence-based regulatory systems, greater transparency, and meaningful public engagement. Risk assessment strategies should extend beyond conventional models to incorporate long-term environmental monitoring and rigorous nutritional evaluations. Ultimately, the development of policy frameworks capable of simultaneously supporting biotechnological innovation and addressing societal safety concerns will be essential for a successful transition toward intelligent and sustainable food systems in the future.