Clash likely on GM food labels
Date: 07-Mar-02
Country: UK
The European Union select committee in the parliament's upper House of Lords will hear evidence yesterday from FSA chief John Krebs and Meacher on tough new EU proposals planning compulsory labels for all food products made from gene-spliced crops.
Meacher supports tougher measures, like those proposed by the EU plan, while the FSA thinks such steps are unworkable.
Public opinion in Europe, bruised by food safety scares over mad cow disease and dioxin in recent years, is wary about such foods and there is a three year de-facto ban in place in Europe on approvals of new gene-modified (GM) varieties.
Under the EU traceability proposals, any food product derived from a GM crop must be labelled as such, even if the genetic material is removed during manufacturing - as is the case with some vegetable oils.
The UK food watchdog has said it is not convinced that the current EU proposals could be delivered in a workable way and that consumers in general would face increased costs.
It has called for a "GM free-label" which would only be used for some foods and would cost consumers more if they choose to buy it.
"It seems reasonable to meet this specific market and for the cost involved to fall on those who wish to exercise the choice," Krebs had said.
Meacher is expected to support more stringent labelling and traceability requirements.
Critics have said the FSA proposals do not go far enough.
Environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth said that the FSA, which was set up to protect consumers, "seems intent on taking that choice away."
"Food has been GM-Free for thousands of years, but now the FSA say we must pay more if we want to avoid this controversial technology," the group's GM campaigner Adrian Bebb said.