Nepal to Label GMO Products

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Govt takes cautious approach to GM foods

 

By Suvecha Pant

 

KATHMANDU, April 12 : While the international debate on the pros and

cons of Genetically Modified (GM) foods on human health continues,

and experts remain divided on the issue, Nepal is taking up

a `precautionary' approach as it braces itself to make labelling of

GM foods mandatory.

 

"We will soon make the labelling of GM foods mandatory," said Tika

Bahadur Karki, Director General, Department of Food Technology and

Quality Control. The regulation, according to Karki, is likely to be

enforced within this year.

 

The regulation will help in identifying the products that contain GM

organisms in Nepal. Till date, there is no concrete evidence to

support the presence of GM foods or seeds. That, however, does not

mean such foods are totally absent.

 

"Although it has not yet been proved that GM foods are in Nepal, the

chances are high," said Prof Dayananda Bajracharya, Vice Chancellor

of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST). "

Imported foods such as corn, canned tomatoes could be genetically

modified," he added.

 

The mandatory labelling is a necessary step in identifying GM foods

in market, but not a sufficient one, say experts.

 

"We need to test food products to determine whether they are

genetically modified," said Bajracharya.

 

According to Karki, the establishment of a `clearing house' - a

laboratory for testing of GM foods/seeds - will be the next step in

the determination of GM organisms. To test whether food contains

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is determined after testing the

food's `polymerage chain reaction (PCR)' on a PCR apparatus.

 

"However, the methods of testing are also still under debate," added

Karki.

 

Currently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food Agriculture

Organisation (FAO) are jointly undertaking research to find a

standard for testing of genetically modified food products. The Codex

Alimentarius Commission (Codex) is the body under WHO/FAO that is

developing the principles for the human health risk analysis of GM

foods.

 

"The principles are at an advanced stage of development and are

expected to be adopted in July 2003," said Karki. "According to the

standard methods published by this research, we will form policies

for the development of a testing lab in Nepal."

 

So, what are GM foods? Generally, GM foods - also called "Frankenfood

or transgenic foods" - contain gene transplants from other plants or

even animals.

 

There have been sporadic incidents of side effects of GM foods, such

as allergy on its consumers, but till date no one has died from

consumption of GM foods. While many groups have opposed GM crops,

others argue there is a moral case for introducing GM technology to

developing countries, to help tackle poverty and hunger. "While

international debate is going on whether GM foods are safe or not,

Nepal needs to take a precautionary measure," said Ratnakar Adhikari,

Executive Director of the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and

Environment.

 

"Measures like labelling of GM foods would give consumers a choice

and they can decide if they want to consume such foods," added

Adhikari. Recently, Nepal has also signed the Cartagena Protocol on

Biosafety (CPB). The CPB is an environmental treaty, which after

ratification from 50 countries, will regulate transboundary movements

of living modified organisms (LMOs).

 

GM foods are within the scope of the protocol only if they contain

LMOs that are capable of harming the environment. Nepal signed the

Cartegena Protocol on March 2, 2001 but has not yet ratified the

protocol.