The following is a case study, under the voluntary system, from the CSIRO media release by Dr Jim Peacock on 7 September 1999.

Genetically modified plants are first developed in the laboratory, and when scientists are satisfied with the results they run glasshouse trials. From there, if the scientist is satisfied with the results, they move to small field trials, about the size of a suburban backyard, and from there to larger field trials.

Currently, a GM plant needs to be approved for trial by the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) and the Federal Government's Interim Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (IOGTR). These bodies oversee the release of all genetically modified organisms. If the plant is being used in a food it also needs to be approved by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which regulates food safety and is responsible for labeling of foods. An example of the process of regulation of GM plants was the INGARD®, also known as Bt, cotton. The crop was developed by CSIRO and its commercial partners to contain a new gene to protect it against insect attacks.

Using INGARD® cotton, growers have been able to cut pesticide use by up to 70 per cent. But before it was approved for use the plants had to go through many regulatory and testing stages to assess possible risks.

The CSIRO had to prove that the modified cotton couldn't breed with any Australian native plants which are related to cotton, so the gene couldn't 'escape'. They also had to show that they had strategies in place to prevent insects developing resistance to Bt, the protein that protected the plants from their attack.

And since the oil from the seeds of the modified cotton is used in cooking and to make margarine, FSANZ had to test it to make sure there was no health risk even though the cotton oil doesn't actually contain any genes or protein.