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Australia: GM harvest renews calls for labelling Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Alana Buckley-Carr
AUSTRALIA - Food safety chiefs are under renewed pressure to toughen labelling standards as farmers in the Eastern States prepare to harvest their first crop of genetically modified canola.
The Conservation Council of WA has warned that the NSW and Victorian canola could be processed and put on supermarket shelves across Australia within months, but shoppers would not be aware they are buying GM food because of inadequate labelling laws.
The harvest comes as WA Agriculture Minister Terry Redman said he was working out a "pathway" to start commercial GM trials.
Conservation Council of WA director Piers Verstegen said he wanted the State Government to implement a new labelling system for GM products but it had to be supported nationally.
"We`re concerned that GM product from anywhere in the world could end up in the supermarkets," Mr Verstegen said. "People have to know whether they`re buying GM products or not."
National food regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand specifies that margarine and other oils made from GM seeds do not need to be labelled because the refining process removes DNA and protein in the seed. However, some health experts have said that oil made from GM crops such as canola or cotton could contain small amounts of engineered DNA and proteins.
Regulations do not require labelling of meat, milk or eggs from animals fed GM material because authorities believe there are no altered components in end products.
However, a scientist hired by the Carpenter government to look at the long-term effects of GM crops on human health, as well as national group Doctors for the Environment Australia, have previously warned that these products could contain engineered DNA and proteins and therefore need to be labelled.
WAFarmers chief executive Andy McMillan said it was likely that consumers were buying GM canola without knowing about it.
"It`s only fair that consumers know if GM canola is in any of the products they are buying," he said. "The move would have to come from the Government if it`s going to be enforced."
He doubted any of the Eastern States` GM canola, due to be harvested in coming weeks, would make its way to supermarket shelves. The small crop was more likely to bolster seed supplies for next year`s planting.
© West Australian Newspapers Limited 2008
Source: The West Australian
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