The EU, Japan, Australia and Taiwan have all mandated GMO labels in recent months and
the U.S. is increasingly standing alone in its hands-off policy. At the first of four U.S. FDA public “listening sessions” on bioengineered foods more than 700 people showed up resulting in a flood of comments in support of mandatory labeling. The final meeting is December 13 in Oakland, California, from 9 am to 6 pm at the Elihu Harris State Office Building. The FDA is accepting written comments through January 13, 2000. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH introduced the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act in Congress which could force manufacturers to label GMOs. The bill has 20 cosponsors.
The new EU-wide standard requires products to be labeled if more than one percent of total ingredients are genetically modified; products without any GM ingredients will soon receive “GM free” EU certification. As of 2001, the South Korean government will require labels on corn, soybeans and bean sprouts products if GM ingredients exceed five percent of the total. The fines are not hefty, though; $8,630 if products are not labeled and
$25,890 or a maximum three-year prison sentence for false labels. Korea imports almost all its soybeans and corn from abroad, including the U.S.
The Japanese government will also require labels in 2001. 29 varieties of GM crops are approved for sale in Japan; the country is the world’s largest importer of GM crops. GM Corn, rapeseed, cotton, sugar beet, soybeans, potatoes and tomatoes are sold there.
Loading...