China, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, India - the challenges to the free flow of GMOs continue to grow
1. India plans to regulate GM farm imports - official
2. CONSUMERS DEMAND GM MEAT LABELLING
3. Hong Kong retailer leads on GM-free range
4. GM crop trial material entering UK food chain
5. 10,000-POSTCARD THAILAND GMO FOOD PROTEST
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1. India plans to regulate GM farm imports - official
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/12541/story.htm
BOMBAY - India plans to regulate imports of genetically modified (GM) agricultural products due to concerns about their effects on health and the environment, a top government official said. "We are currently formulating new rules and procedures which will be notified soon," J.N.L. Srivastava, federal agriculture secretary, told Reuters on the sidelines of an international conference of edible oils, which concluded on Monday.
He said the government's objective was not to stop imports but to ensure there was adequate information about the commodities that came into the country.
"Genetically modified food objects have to be accepted first in the country and health hazards have to be studied," he said.
Traders may have to obtain prior permission from the environment ministry to import GM items, he said.
Tougher norms would mainly affect rising imports of soyoil, extracted in many countries from genetically modified soybean, traders said.
India imported 1.05 million tonnes of soyoil between November 2000 and August 2001 compared with 497,635 tonnes in the same period of the previous year due to lower duty on the commodity. The government imposes import levies of between 75 to 85 percent on edible oils but soyoil attracts only 45 percent duty due to the government's commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The country mainly imports soyoils from Argentina and Brazil, traders said, adding these two countries cultivated both GM and non-GM soybean crops.
Traders said the government may not allow imports of GM soyoil on health and environment grounds Srivastava said the move should not be seen as a non-tariff barrier to restrict imports of soyoil and other commodities.
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2. CONSUMERS DEMAND GM MEAT LABELLING
September 25, 2001
Meat News
http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=1821
Consumer survey shows that meat from animals fed GM foods should be labelled.
Most consumers think that meat from animals fed with GM products should be labelled, according to new research. The study by the National Consumer Council (NCC) in the UK found that 80 per cent of British consumers thought the meat should carry GM labelling.
The research comes amid European Commission proposals to extend labelling to cover meat from animals fed with GM products. Under current EC proposals, any food with a GM contamination level of 1% or more will be labelled. But 42 per cent of consumers wanted to see zero GM contamination of foods, the NCC research found and almost two-thirds (64 per cent) thought it was important that all food containing any GM ingredients was labelled as such.
The US was said to be furious last July at EC plans to label all food containing more than one per cent of GM ingredients. The plans would cost the US $4 billion (£2.7 billion) in exports to Europe, the government argued, and would undermine efforts to raise public confidence in agricultural biotechnology.
Deirdre Hutton, NCC chairman, said she was "amazed" the Food Standards Agency had decided not to support the extension of GM labelling. "It flies in the face of what we know consumers want," she said.
"Not only is there strong support for information about GM ingredients generally, but more than half said they would still want to know specifically about GM derivatives in the food they eat."
Category: Food Safety,Legislation and Regulation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
[ for more on FSA see: 21 September 2001 - Watchdog Is Letting Food Firms Cover Up GM Use (Daily Mail) http://www.connectotel.com/gmfood/dm210901.txt ]
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3. Retailer leads on GM-free range [shortened]
South China Morning Post
http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=displaynews&doc_id=NR20010920670.2_b99b0008e4edefe1
In a first for Hong Kong, ParknShop has eliminated genetically modified (GM) ingredients from its 1,100 own-brand products. The move reflects increasing consumer demand for food not created in a test-tube. ParknShop marketing manager David Durnford said the firm had just completed the year-long programme on its product range and had gradually introduced the goods to the shelves.
[Guide to GM foods in Hong Kong: http://www.greenpeace-china.org.hk]
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4. GM crop trial material entering UK food chain
Date: 25/09/01 09:01:45 GMT
From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (brianjohn)
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Linda Smith), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(AEBC)
Dear Dr Smith,
We are receiving very worrying reports of events at SY 680882 in Dorset, where a trial of Chardon LL has been under way.
The following information has come to hand:
1. There was no public consultation prior to the commencement of the trial.
2. The site is close to a council housing estate and the GM trial field is not protected in any way -- ijn effect there is open public access.
3. SCIMAC guidelines were contravened several times during planting and crop management.
4. GA herbicide was sprayed onto grass verges off the trial site and also onto trees in the vicinity.
5. GA application on the site appears to have been largely ineffective, leading to the conclusion that the trial was corrupted so as to maximise weed growth and biodiversity.
6. Because of vandalism of slug traps etc on the field, no scientific research was carried out on the GM site, and it is assumed therefore that the trial was formally aborted.
7. Over 60% of the GM part of the site was trashed by local people.
8. The GM crop was shredded and left on the ground on 13th September, following complaints from the public that animals grazing on the crop site included pheasants, wild deer, rabbits, hares, and smaller mammals.
9. The farmer, Charles Foot, is now allowing his cattle to graze on GM stubble.
We have other information about this field trial which we may make
available in due course. However, we are convinced that what we have here is evidence of yet another FSE which has run out of control.
We are particularly concerned that cattle, deer, rabbits, hares, and pheasants have all been ingesting GM material on this site. All of these have the potential to enter the human food chain.
We have been assured over and again that none of the GM material associated with these field trials will be fed to farm animals or will otherwise enter the human food chain.
What action has been taken by DEFRA against Aventis, the farmer and the landowner with respect to these clear breaches of procedure?
What action is DEFRA taking to prevent any further unauthorised releases of GMOs at this site?
What steps is DEFRA taking to monitor what happens to the animals which have already consumed GM materials from this site?
And finally, will DEFRA now place an order preventing Mr Foot from selling either milk or meat from the animals which have been grazing on the GM crop debris?
We will appreciate a prompt reply, and also assurances that action will immediately be taken on this site before matters get even worse.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Brian John
for GM Free Cymru
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5. 10,000-POSTCARD THAILAND GMO FOOD PROTEST
September 26, 2001
Associated Press
BANGKOK -- Environmental watchdog Greenpeace was cited as delivering to Thai authorities Wednesday more than 10,000 postcards that it said contained complaints from consumers about genetically modified food.
A Greenpeace statement said that more than 20 Greenpeace activists carrying protest banners gathered in front of the Thai Food and Drug Administration office and handed over the postcards stuffed in baskets and that Greenpeace is demanding an "immediate elimination" of genetically modified organisms in food products and stricter and tighter labeling rules on food items containing GMOs.