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Firms apply 'double standards' on GE food

By Hu Yinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-06-21 08:34

A 2002 Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) regulation stipulates that only five categories of GE products should be clearly labeled when sold in the country - soya, corn, cole, cotton and tomato seeds.

Processed GE food products such as biscuits, snacks and drinks are not required to have such labeling.

Ezaki Glico and Metro Group have not broken the law, but Zou Ping, deputy director of the MOA's GE office said earlier the ministry had begun a detailed probe into the matter.

Greenpeace's powers are limited to only "urging companies to comply with commercial ethics and respect Chinese consumers," Zou said.

Greenpeace said Chinese lawmakers should broaden the existing scope of GE food labeling.

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"It is only through such a legal modification that consumers can truly enjoy their right to be informed, and choose to act on that right," Luo said.

"There has been enormous debate on the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMO), and as of now, there is no global consensus.

"Moreover, GE foods only emerged in the past decade; their long-term security cannot be fully evaluated today.

"Because of this situation, a principle of prevention should be adopted, and no GMOs should be used in food products," she said.

Kraft Foods adopted a non-GE policy on the Chinese mainland after its products were found to contain GE ingredients last year.

The Hong Kong-based Greenpeace China began its anti-GE food campaign in 1999.