Posted 28th August 2001

Industry push for delay on GM label
By SIOBHAIN RYAN

EXISTING stocks of genetically modified food could escape the Federal Government's new labelling regime for another year under a draft plan that has outraged consumer advocates. The Australia New Zealand Food Authority proposal would postpone the recall of existing transgenic products without proper labelling until December 2002 - 12 months after the scheme was to take effect and more than two years after health ministers announced the new labelling rules.

The extra year's grace would apply to foods made or imported into Australia or NZ before December 7, 2001 - but not after that date. Australian Consumers Association food policy officer Rebecca Smith blasted the proposal as "outrageous" and accused ANZFA of "kowtowing" to industry interests. She said food manufacturers had already been given a year to work labelling requirements into their operations.

Health ministers agreed in July last year to introduce labelling of foods with more than 0.1 per cent of GM ingredients. Exemptions included unpackaged food from restaurants, highly processed oils, sugars and starches, processing aids and additives. "By December 7 this year, you were to have total compliance - not this extra 12 months as a honeymoon period for the industry," Ms Smith said. She said ANZFA was now condoning non-compliance with its new regulations, leaving shoppers in the dark about the GM content on supermarket shelves for another year. "It just shows that they're held to ransom by the food industry on this one," Ms Smith said. However, ANZFA's discussion paper said the wholesale recall of existing grocery stocks could be seen as an "unwarranted and arbitrary imposition" on industry and consumers. "ANZFA's preliminary view is that it is unreasonable to require retailers to remove GM foods from their shelves on December 7, 2001 that were able to be lawfully sold the day before," it stated. "To do so would potentially mean the removal of substantial qantities of food ..."

About half the food in supermarkets, including bread, chips, lollies and softdrink, are believed to contain modified ingredients. Food manufacturers have predicted the new labelling regime will drive up grocery prices... ..

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