GMW: Indian medics call for mandatory labelling of GM foods

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GMW: Indian medics call for mandatory labelling of GM foods

" GM WATCH " <info

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:59:13 +0100

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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The call for mandatory labelling follows on from a previous report from

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that noted, " The safety

of these components of the genetic construct is not clearly known as

they have the potential to induce toxicity, transfer to gut flora or

produce unintended effects leading to changes that are relevant from

toxicological/nutritional perspective.

 

" Specific safety issues associated with GM foods include direct or

indirect consequences of new gene product or altered levels of existing

gene

product due to GM, possibility of gene transfer from ingested GM food

and potential adverse effect like allergenicity and toxic effects. "

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4177

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ICMR calls for mandatory labelling of GM foods

ASHOK B SHARMA

Financial Express, September 27, 2005

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=103825

 

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for mandatory

labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods. It said that imported

foods containing traces of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

should be

tested for their safety in the labs in the country.

 

The report prepared under the leadership of ICMR director-general NK

Ganguly has been submitted to the government. The recommendations of the

report are being reviewed by the Central Committee on Food Safety

(CCFS) for incorporation under the Prevention of Food Adulteration

(PFA) Act

and Rules.

 

The ICMR report focuses on issues of labelling, nutrition value, food

safety and ethical values.

 

At present PFA Act and Rules does not have any provisions to deal with

GM foods. The new Food Safety and Standards Bill, 2005 tabled in

Parliament has mentioned the need for regulating GM foods.

 

The existing regulatory authority for transgenic products, the Genetic

Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has the power to regulate only

transgenic crops and animals and recombinant pharma products and not GM

foods. The Ganguly panel, therefore, suggested that GM foods will be

regulated by GEAC.

 

The permissible limit of the presence of traces of GMOs in food as

proposed by ICMR is higher than that proposed by the European Union.

EU has

fixed the permissible limit at 0.9% while ICMR has fixed it at 1%. ICMR

has said that labelling of GM foods should disclose the necessary

information relating to the orgin of the transgene and the processes

invloved. The norms for labelling will be revised in accordance with

more advanced techniques of detection becoming available.

 

According to ICMR, the producers and importers should submit detailed

supporting documents. Only accredited labs should conduct tests to

determine GMO traces in foods. Since currently, there are few labs in the

country like the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, the Central

Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore, and Lucknow's Industrial

Toxicology Research Centre, capable of conducting tests on GMOs, the

Ganguly panel called for upgradation of other labs.

 

 

 

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