50 Multiple choice Questions (MCQ) on Golden Rice

1. Golden Rice is best described as:
   A. High-yield hybrid rice with golden husk
   B. Rice enriched in provitamin A via genetic engineering
   C. Traditional rice variety bred for drought resistance
   D. Rice with golden-colored bran due to anthocyanins
   Answer: B. Golden Rice is transgenic rice (Oryza sativa) engineered to biosynthesize β‑carotene (provitamin A) in the endosperm, giving it a yellow-golden hue (Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Reddit).

2. The yellow‑orange color of Golden Rice grains is caused by accumulation of:
   A. Anthocyanins
   B. Golden pigment proteins
   C. β‑Carotene (provitamin A)
   D. Maize zeaxanthin
   Answer: C. β‑Carotene accumulation in the polished endosperm of Golden Rice gives the grain its golden color (NCBI, Wikipedia).

3. The species used to develop Golden Rice is:
   A. Oryza glaberrima
   B. Oryza sativa
   C. Triticum aestivum
   D. Zea mays
   Answer: B. Golden Rice was developed in Oryza sativa, the common Asian rice species (Wikipedia, International Rice Research Institute).

4. Which two transgenes are introduced into Golden Rice to enable provitamin A synthesis?
   A. psy + crtI
   B. NifH + rbcL
   C. Cry1Ab + BtP
   D. OsNAS1 + OsNAS2
   Answer: A. The transgenes psy (phytoene synthase) and crtI (carotene desaturase) enable β‑carotene production in rice endosperm (Wikipedia, Reddit).

5. The psy gene in the first-generation Golden Rice (GR1) originally came from:
   A. Maize
   B. Wheat
   C. Daffodil
   D. Soil bacteria
   Answer: C. GR1 used the psy gene from daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) (Reddit).

6. The bacterial crtI gene introduced comes from:
   A. Escherichia coli
   B. Erwinia uredovora (a soil bacterium)
   C. Bacillus thuringiensis
   D. Agrobacterium tumefaciens
   Answer: B. The crtI gene derives from the soil bacterium Erwinia uredovora (now Pantoea ananatis) and enables the desaturation of phytoene toward lycopene (Wikipedia).

7. Golden Rice did not require introduction of a lycopene cyclase (lcy) gene because:
   A. The lcy step is not needed in rice
   B. Endogenous rice endosperm already expresses lcy
   C. Carotene formation stops at lycopene
   D. lcy gene was lost during breeding
   Answer: B. The endogenous rice lcy gene is expressed in endosperm and converts lycopene to β‑carotene, removing the need to add lcy (NCBI, goldenrice.org).

8. Golden Rice was first publicly presented in the scientific literature in approximately:
   A. 1980
   B. 1990
   C. 2000
   D. 2010
   Answer: C. The first peer-reviewed description of Golden Rice was published in Science in 2000 by Ye et al. (goldenrice.org, Wikipedia).

9. The two lead scientists associated with Golden Rice development are:
   A. Norman Borlaug & M.S. Swaminathan
   B. Ingo Potrykus & Peter Beyer
   C. Marc Van Montagu & Mary-Dell Chilton
   D. Emmanuelle Charpentier & Jennifer Doudna
   Answer: B. Golden Rice was developed by Ingo Potrykus (Switzerland) and Peter Beyer (Germany) (Wikipedia).

10. First-generation Golden Rice (GR1) accumulated about how much β‑carotene?
    A. 0.1 μg/g
    B. ~1.6 μg/g of dry seed
    C. ~10 μg/g
    D. >30 μg/g
    Answer: B. GR1 accumulated approximately 1.6 μg of β‑carotene per gram of dry seed weight under greenhouse conditions (Wikipedia, Reddit, goldenrice.org).

11. Golden Rice 2 (GR2) was engineered to increase provitamin A up to about:
    A. 3 μg/g
    B. 10 μg/g
    C. 37 μg/g total carotenoids (~31 μg/g β‑carotene)
    D. 100 μg/g
    Answer: C. GR2 lines accumulated up to 37 μg/g of carotenoids (≈31 μg/g as β‑carotene), around 20–23× higher than GR1 (goldenrice.org, Wikipedia).

12. The conversion factor from Golden Rice β‑carotene to retinol in humans determined by stable isotopes is approximately:
    A. 1 μg => 3.8 μg
    B. 3.8 μg => 1 μg
    C. 30 μg => 1 μg
    D. 100 μg => 1 μg
    Answer: B. Human feeding trials found that 3.8 μg of Golden Rice β‑carotene converts to 1 μg retinol, signifying efficient conversion (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

13. According to the model using 20–30 μg/g β‑carotene concentrations, a 100 g uncooked serving of Golden Rice could supply:
    A. 10–20% of EAR
    B. 30–50% of EAR
    C. 80–100% of EAR for adults
    D. 150% of EAR for children
    Answer: C. At 20–30 μg/g, 100 g of Golden Rice could supply 500–800 μg retinol equivalent—about 80–100% of the Estimated Average Requirement for adults (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

14. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Health Canada, and the US FDA concluded Golden Rice is:
    A. Less nutritious than common rice
    B. Unsafe for human consumption
    C. Substantially equivalent to conventional rice, except for β‑carotene
    D. Banned due to allergen risk
    Answer: C. These regulators found Golden Rice composition to be substantially equivalent to conventional rice, with elevated β‑carotene as the only meaningful difference (Reddit).

15. The Philippines issued the biosafety permit for direct use as food, feed, or for processing (FFP) for Golden Rice (GR2E) in:
    A. 2005
    B. 2012
    C. December 2019
    D. July 2021
    Answer: C. On December 18, 2019, the Philippine Department of Agriculture granted FFP permit (food, feed, processing) for Golden Rice GR2E (philrice.gov.ph).

16. The Philippines became the first country to issue a biosafety permit for commercial propagation of Golden Rice (GR2E) in:
    A. 2018
    B. 2019
    C. 2020
    D. July 2021
    Answer: D. Commercial propagation permit was issued on 21 July 2021, making the Philippines the first country to allow planting at scale (philrice.gov.ph).

17. In April 2023, the Philippine Supreme Court issued a Writ of Kalikasan ordering:
    A. Distribution of Golden Rice seeds to farmers
    B. Stop of commercial propagation due to environmental/health concerns
    C. Fast‑tracking commercialization
    D. Export of Golden Rice only
    Answer: B. The Court issued a Writ of Kalikasan and halted commercial propagation of Golden Rice (and Bt eggplant) pending further safety assessments (bworldonline.com, ifoam.bio).

18. Syngenta, related to Golden Rice 2 (GR2), granted humanitarian-use licenses for Golden Rice to:
    A. Major agribusiness corporations
    B. No one; patents not transferred
    C. IRRI and national breeding partners under no-charge terms for resource-poor farmers
    D. Only to governments of industrialized countries
    Answer: C. Syngenta donated GR2-related intellectual property to IRRI and national partners so that resource-poor farmers could access Golden Rice without royalty (Wikipedia, Wikipedia).

19. In 2016, 107 Nobel laureates signed a letter urging Greenpeace to:
    A. Support delayed commercialization
    B. Stop opposing Golden Rice and GM crops
    C. License Golden Rice only to private firms
    D. Increase seed royalties
    Answer: B. The 107 laureates called on Greenpeace to end its campaign against Golden Rice and GM crops, stating that opposition based on ideology needs to stop (Wikipedia).

20. A 2009 clinical study concluded that:
    A. Golden Rice β‑carotene is ineffective in humans
    B. No β‑carotene is absorbed
    C. Golden Rice β‑carotene is efficiently converted to vitamin A in humans
    D. Only synthetic vitamin A works
    Answer: C. The study confirmed that β‑carotene from Golden Rice is effectively converted into vitamin A in human subjects with no adverse effects (Reddit, Wikipedia).

21. The 2012 human feeding study reporting Golden Rice efficacy in children was retracted because:
    A. The results were scientifically invalid
    B. Ethical violations, including lack of proper consent
    C. The rice had no β‑carotene
    D. It could cause vitamin A overdose
    Answer: B. The retraction was due to ethical issues (unapproved protocol and insufficient consent), though no safety concerns were confirmed (Wikipedia).

22. The safety principle used by regulatory agencies comparing Golden Rice to conventional rice is known as:
    A. Gene flow
    B. Substantial equivalence
    C. Traceability
    D. Zero tolerance
    Answer: B. Substantial equivalence assesses GM food safety by comparison with a traditional, equivalent food, applied in Golden Rice approvals (bworldonline.com, Wikipedia).

23. Allergenicity testing for GM proteins is standard before approval; Golden Rice passed these tests and:
    A. Was found to cause allergies in 1% of people
    B. Showed no allergenicity, as expected for GM plant proteins
    C. Caused vomiting in most subjects
    D. Required anaphylaxis warning
    Answer: B. Routine allergenicity testing found no evidence of allergic reactions, consistent with global experience for other GM proteins (Wikipedia).

24. Golden Rice has generally equivalent yield and agronomic characteristics compared to its conventional parent lines (e.g., IR64), meaning:
    A. Farmers must switch cultivation practices
    B. Yields are significantly lower
    C. Agronomy remains the same—no hybrid vigour effects
    D. Taste is dramatically altered
    Answer: C. Golden Rice is bred into popular local varieties without yield penalty or agronomic differences (International Rice Research Institute, irri.cgiar.org).

25. The term “malusog rice,” used in the Philippines for Golden Rice, refers to:
    A. Hybrid patent
    B. Conventional long-grain rice
    C. NSIC 2022 Rc682GR2E (Golden Rice commercial variant in PH)
    D. A cooking variety used for oily dishes
    Answer: C. In the Philippines, the Golden Rice cultivar approved for commercialization is NSIC 2022 Rc682GR2E, branded as “Malusog Rice” (philstar.com).

26. Typical provitamin A coverage achieved by Golden Rice for children and pregnant women in target communities is:
    A. <5% of estimated average requirement (EAR)
    B. 10–20% of EAR
    C. 30–50% of EAR
    D. >100% of EAR
    Answer: C. Golden Rice can supply approximately 30–50% of EAR for vitamin A for preschool children and pregnant women in rice-dependent diets (news.irri.org, International Rice Research Institute).

27. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects over _____ million children worldwide and causes up to _____ blindings per year:
    A. 20 million; 5,000
    B. 190 million; 500,000
    C. 50 million; 20,000
    D. 10 million; 100,000
    Answer: B. VAD affects ~190 million preschoolers worldwide and causes up to 500,000 cases of childhood blindness annually (philrice.gov.ph).

28. Golden Rice is intended to be used as a complement—not replacement—for which public health interventions?
    A. Use of fortified motor oil
    B. Vitamin A supplements, food fortification, dietary diversity, and optimal breastfeeding
    C. GM maize
    D. Crop rotation
    Answer: B. Golden Rice is designed to complement existing interventions such as supplementation, food fortification, diversified diet, and breastfeeding, not to replace them entirely (philrice.gov.ph, Reddit).

29. Consumption of Golden Rice cannot cause vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A) because:
    A. β‑Carotene is non-toxic and self-limiting in conversion
    B. Colorings cancel effects
    C. It uses a mutant rice allele
    D. Human bodies do not absorb any β‑carotene from it
    Answer: A. Provitamin A (β‑carotene) conversion is regulated and cannot cause hypervitaminosis A under normal conditions (Reddit, Wikipedia).

30. Typical cooking methods retain _____ of β‑carotene in Golden Rice due to high heat stability:
    A. <20%
    B. ~50%
    C. ≥80%
    D. 0% after boiling
    Answer: C. Most cooking retains 80% or more of β‑carotene in Golden Rice; heat enhances availability despite minimal losses (goldenrice.org).

31. β‑Carotene degradation during storage in Golden Rice:
    A. Happens so fast it's nutritionally ineffective
    B. Is negligible (<5% over 6 months)
    C. Varies by storage; about 60–80% may degrade in weeks if exposed to heat/air
    D. Is not possible due to stabilization genes
    Answer: C. Storage studies show decay of 60–80% over several weeks in air-permeable conditions; proper storage retains nutritional value (Reddit).

32. Golden Rice is unlikely to cross-pollinate with wild rice varieties because:
    A. It is genetically sterile
    B. Rice is predominantly self-pollinating and has short-lived pollen
    C. Wind pollination is blocked by pollen filters
    D. Golden Rice does not flower
    Answer: B. Rice is self-pollinating with short pollen longevity and low stigma exsertion, greatly limiting gene flow risk (Reddit).

33. Research on Golden Rice began under the auspices of the:
    A. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    B. Rockefeller Foundation
    C. Monsanto
    D. World Bank
    Answer: B. Research began in the 1980s as a Rockefeller Foundation initiative, with Potrykus and Beyer later leading genetic work (goldenrice.org, Wikipedia).

34. The first agricultural field trials of Golden Rice were conducted in 2004 at which institution?
    A. IRRI, Philippines
    B. USDA, Arkansas
    C. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU), USA
    D. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
    Answer: C. The first field trials were conducted by LSU in 2004, followed by IRRI and Bangladesh in later years (Reddit).

35. Golden Rice is primarily intended for ______ regions with vitamin A deficiency.
    A. Rice-consuming countries where VAD is prevalent
    B. Regions with high green-vegetable consumption
    C. Meat‑eating Western nations
    D. Urban industrial zones
    Answer: A. Golden Rice targets rice-consuming populations in Asia and Africa where VAD remains a public health problem (Reddit).

36. Golden Rice 2 achieved higher β‑carotene accumulation in part by using the psy gene from:
    A. Wheat
    B. Maize (Zea mays)
    C. Soybean
    D. Pea
    Answer: B. The psy (phytoene synthase) gene from maize was more efficient, yielding higher β‑carotene in GR2 lines (~31 μg/g) (goldenrice.org, Wikipedia).

37. According to critics like Greenpeace, Golden Rice rollout has been delayed because:
    A. GMO activists oppose it, not (only) regulatory hurdles
    B. Rice cannot grow β‑carotene
    C. It causes immediate blindness
    D. It reduced yields in India
    Answer: A. Greenpeace and anti‑GMO groups have opposed Golden Rice deployment, citing ideological and environmental concerns, contributing to delays (Wikipedia).

38. An economic study estimated that opposition to Golden Rice in India caused approximately how many lost life-years?
    A. 1,000 life-years
    B. 10,000 life-years
    C. 1.4 million life-years
    D. No life-years lost
    Answer: C. A published analysis calculated that delayed deployment of Golden Rice may have cost ~1.4 million life years in India due to prolonged vitamin A deficiency (wired.com, Wikipedia).

39. Human trials demonstrated that Golden Rice provides vitamin A equivalent to which other provitamin A source?
    A. β‑carotene glycerol esters only
    B. β‑carotene in oil
    C. Raw spinach
    D. Synthetic retinol capsules
    Answer: B. A study showed that β‑carotene from Golden Rice was as effective as β‑carotene in oil at providing vitamin A to children (Wikipedia).

40. The World Health Organization (WHO) and FAO guidelines used in Golden Rice safety assessments are aligned with the:
    A. Oxford Medical Standards
    B. Codex Alimentarius and OECD frameworks
    C. Geneva GM Crop Treaty
    D. ASEAN Seed Act
    Answer: B. Safety assessments follow international guidance from WHO/FAO (Codex Alimentarius) and OECD on GM food safety (irri.cgiar.org, Wikipedia).

41. Golden Rice had to show no unintended changes in nutrient or toxin levels compared to control rice—that concept is known as:
    A. Nutritional parity
    B. Substantial equivalence
    C. Genetic neutrality
    D. Iso-nutritional identity
    Answer: B. Substantial equivalence ensures that the only significant difference is the intended trait—β‑carotene—in Golden Rice versus control rice (Wikipedia, irri.cgiar.org).

42. Storage and post-harvest losses of β‑carotene in Golden Rice are most influenced by:
    A. Rice water content
    B. Light, heat, oxygen exposure
    C. Soil pH before harvest
    D. Farmer’s altitude
    Answer: B. β‑Carotene degrades faster under oxygen, heat, and light; oxidation accounts for most losses in storage (Reddit, goldenrice.org).

43. A campaign group that filed the petition leading to the Writ of Kalikasan is:
    A. IRRI
    B. MASIPAG (Magsasaka at Siyentipiko Para sa Pag‑Unlad ng Agrikultura)
    C. FAO
    D. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    Answer: B. MASIPAG, alongside Greenpeace Southeast Asia, filed the petition that led to the 2023 Writ of Kalikasan against Golden Rice (bworldonline.com).

44. The Court of Appeals upheld the Writ of Kalikasan in _____ 2024, thereby revoking the commercial biosafety permit.
    A. July 2021
    B. April 2023
    C. April 2024
    D. December 2019
    Answer: C. In April 2024, the Court of Appeals upheld the Writ of Kalikasan and revoked the commercial permit issued earlier in July 2021 (philrice.gov.ph).

45. Surveyed acceptability ratings of “Malusog Rice” (Golden Rice) during pilot deployment in Philippine provinces were generally:
    A. <10% acceptance
    B. ~50% acceptance
    C. 97–100% acceptance among respondents
    D. Rejection due to taste
    Answer: C. Pilot-scale deployment studies reported 97–100% consumer acceptability of Malusog Rice across multiple provinces (philstar.com).

46. Average yields of Golden Rice (“Malusog Rice”) in Philippine pilot fields ranged between:
    A. 1.0 – 2.0 t/ha
    B. 2.0 – 3.0 t/ha
    C. 3.2 – 4.9 t/ha, comparable to staple varieties
    D. >6.0 t/ha only for hybrids
    Answer: C. Production trials in 2022–2023 showed yields between 3.2 and 4.9 t/ha, comparable to existing rice cultivars (philstar.com).

47. With standard practices, the cost of producing Malusog Rice per kilogram was:
    A. Twice as expensive as conventional rice
    B. Slightly cheaper than conventional rice
    C. Equivalent to conventional rice (~P12.07–12.15/kg)
    D. Subject to monthly royalty fees
    Answer: C. Cost assessments showed the production cost of Malusog Rice (≈P12.07–12.15/kg) was on par with ordinary rice (philstar.com).

48. The ideal β‑carotene dose for sufficient EAR coverage in children, if Golden Rice contains ~30 μg/g dry weight, would be approximately:
    A. 20 g uncooked grain
    B. 50–100 g uncooked grain
    C. >1 kg
    D. Only if eaten with pulses
    Answer: B. With ~30 μg/g β‑carotene and high bioconversion efficiency, 50–100 g of uncooked Golden Rice can supply a substantial portion of a child’s vitamin A EAR (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, news.irri.org).

49. Golden Rice remains effective as a micronutrient intervention in low-oil diets partly because:
    A. Rice endosperm contains natural lipids that aid β‑carotene absorption
    B. It includes added fats
    C. Rice is fermented first
    D. Conversion does not require fat
    Answer: A. The rice endosperm matrix contains enough natural lipids to support β‑carotene absorption even in diets low in oil (International Rice Research Institute, goldenrice.org).

50. Which statement about Golden Rice commercialization strategy is correct?
    A. Farmers must buy seeds each season with royalties
    B. Seeds up to USD 10 000 annual revenue are royalty-free and farmers may save seed
    C. Golden Rice cannot be planted outside laboratories
    D. It is exclusively sold through private companies
    Answer: B. Under the Golden Rice patent strategy, smallholders earning below USD 10 000/year pay no royalties and may save and replant seed (Wikipedia).