Should packaging be labelled for GM ingredients?

GM ingredients

Genetically modified food (GM) is a subject that many people feel strongly about, so if this is the case, why isn't food packaging labelled to say if it contains GM ingredients?

Consumers in the UK find that current labelling rules for GM foods are inadequate and they are confused by labeling information, says a new report commissioned by the UK's Food Standards Agency, Exploring Attitudes to GM Foods.

In the study, independent researchers from the National Centre for Social Research found that consumers think that food labels should list the GM ingredients in foods, including foodstuffs produced using GM processes, or in animal feeds which are currently not labelled, the British paper The Independent states.

The report, which was published 25 November, said that most UK consumers are undecided or opposed to GM food and that there is mistrust surrounding the label of GM foods. It also showed that support for GM was varied, yet more people wanted transparency and consumer choice because they think that GM ingredients are used in many products.

Government policy

The government's overall policy on GM food, set out in 2004, stated that there is no specific case for a blanket ban on the cultivation of GM crops in the UK, but that proposed uses of GM need to be assessed on a case by case basis. Although GM food is not currently widely available in the UK, in recent years there has been renewed interest in GM food.

Elsewhere in the world

In France, approximately 93 percent of people think that the presence of GM ingredients should be flagged, according to market research firm Efficience 3 Institute. Currently, the French government requires all GM foods to be labeled as such. In April of this year, the labelling project "Fed without GMOs" (Nourri sans OGM) was applied to meat, poultry and dairy products. Ireland, Austria and Germany have also launched similar programs.

In the US, there is no compulsory scheme to label GM ingredients - whether in the foods themselves, or in their supply chain. Studies have shown, however, that 87 percent of Americans would like to know if their foods contain GM ingredients.

Related News:

The feed chain - Safety and Animal Welfare |GM food in Britain |Genetically modified crops set to be more widespread |Genetically engineered food: kill or cure?

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