GM labelling and the law

Since December 2002, the law in Australia states that food labels must show if food has been genetically modified or contains genetically modified ingredients, or whether GM additives or processing aids remain in the final food.

Special labels are not required for:

• ‘Highly refined’ foods where the altered DNA or protein is no longer in the food (for example, oil from modified corn).
• GM food additives or processing aids - unless the new DNA remains in the food to which it is added.
• GM flavours where less than 0.1 per cent is present in the food.
• Food, food ingredients or processing aids where GM ingredients are ‘unintentionally’ present in less than 1.0 per cent.
• Food that is prepared at the point of sale (so takeaway and restaurant food will not have to be labelled).

Labels may be required where:

• Genetic modification has altered the food so that its composition or nutritional value is ‘outside the normal range’ of similar non-GM goods; for example, if GM technology is used to add vitamins.
• Naturally occurring toxins are ‘significantly different’ to similar non-GM foods.
• The food produced using GM technology contains a ‘new factor’, which can cause allergic reactions in some people.
• Genetic modification raises ‘significant ethical, cultural and religious concerns’ regarding the origin of the genetic material used.

Decision on marketing Bt brinjal in a month

AHMEDABAD: Setting at rest the speculations over the commercial approval of Bt brinjal, Jairam Ramesh minister of state for environment and Forest (MoEF)

said a final decision on the approval of Bt brinjal was yet to be taken. He said the doubts and concerns raised over the issue would not be neglected.

"After consultations with the stakeholders and other government agencies, the final word will come after February 20 after submitting the report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he said.

Ramesh had visited the city on Tuesday to be a part of regional public consultations in association with Centre for Environment Education (CEE) across the country. He said, "Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has given its recommendation for commercialisation but the final decision over the issue is yet to be taken. We assure people of independent and transparent decision over Bt brinjal, it is not going to be taken in a closed room."

Animal genes in normally vegetarian food

No normally vegetarian food on sale in the UK contains copies of animal or fish genes. In addition, after consultation with The Vegetarian Society, the Government has accepted that if this does occur and the DNA of the inserted gene is still present in the final product it will be labeled with a phrase such as “contains copies of pig genes”. The general feeling in the food industry is that no manufacturer would be happy marketing any product so labelled.

How Can Gm Food Affect You

The GEAC has approved BT Brinjal for environmental release amidst widespread protests from citizens, NGOs, farmer organizations and eminent scientists. However the Minister of State (Independent Charge) Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh subsequently announced that a series of consultations will be organized with all stakeholders at different places before the final decision on this is taken and there in may lie a chance that the Government will actually place the interests of the people above those of corporations, for a change.

This is our last chance to stop GM. Many European Governments have rejected GM food as a result of protests from citizens refusing to become lab rats in the genetic experiment. Indians are not lab rats either. In the first leg of our campaign, more than 70,000 Indians wrote to the ex-Health Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss who took a firm public stance against GM foods. Let us do this again!

How to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods

Become familiar with the most common applications of genetic modification. These are the products (and their derivatives) that are most likely to be genetically modified:

• Soybeans - Gene taken from bacteria (Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4) and inserted into soybeans to make them more resistant to herbicides. See How to Live With a Soy Allergy for more information on avoiding soy products.
• Corn - There are two main varieties of GE corn. One has a Gene from the lepidoptera pathogen microorganism Bacillus thuringiensis inserted to produce the Bt toxin, which poisons insect pests. There are also several events which are resistant to various herbicide. Present in high fructose corn syrup and glucose/fructose which is prevalent in a wide variety of foods in America.
• Rapeseed/Canola - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to herbicide.
• Sugar beets - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.
• Rice - Genetically modified to resist herbicides; not currently available for human consumption, but trace amounts of one GM long-grained variety (LLRICE601) may have entered the food supply in the USA and Europe.More recently, golden rice, a different strain of rice has been engineered to produce significantly higher levels of beta carotene, which the body uses to produce vitamin A. Golden rice is still undergoing testing to determine if it is safe for human consumption.
• Cotton - engineered to produce Bt toxin. The seeds are pressed into cottonseed oil, which is a common ingredient in vegetable oil and margarine.
• Dairy - Cows injected with GE hormone rBGH/rBST; possibly fed GM grains and hay.

Buy food labeled 100% organic.
Recognize fruit and vegetable label numbers.
Purchase beef that is 100% grass-fed.
Seek products that are specifically labeled as non-GM or GMO-free.
Shop locally.
Buy whole foods.

Scarcity of safety tests

How can the public make informed decisions about genetically modified (GM) foods when there is so little information about its safety? The lack of data is due to a number of reasons, including:

• It’s more difficult to evaluate the safety of crop-derived foods than individual chemical, drug, or food additives. Crop foods are more complex and their composition varies according to differences in growth and agronomic conditions.

• Publications on GM food toxicity are scarce. An article in Science magazine said it all: “Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods: Many Opinions but Few Data”.¹ In fact, no peer-reviewed publications of clinical studies on the human health effects of GM food exist. Even animal studies are few and far between.

• The preferred approach of the industry has been to use compositional comparisons between GM and non-GM crops. When they are not significantly different the two are regarded as “substantially equivalent”, and therefore the GM food crop is regarded as safe as its conventional counterpart. This ensures that GM crops can be patented without animal testing. However, substantial equivalence is an unscientific concept that has never been properly defined and there are no legally binding rules on how to establish it.²

When food-crops are genetically modified, (“genetically modified” food is a misnomer!) one or more genes are incorporated into the crop’s genome using a vector containing several other genes, including as a minimum, viral promoters, transcription terminators, antibiotic resistance marker genes and reporter genes. Data on the safety of these are scarce even though they can affect the safety of the GM crop. For example:

• DNA does not always fully break down in the alimentary tract.^3,4 Gut bacteria can take up genes and GM plasmids5 and this opens up the possibility of the spread of antibiotic resistance.
• Insertion of genes into the genome can also result in unintended effects, which need to be reduced/eliminated by selection, since some of the ways the inserted genes express themselves in the host or the way they affect the functioning of the crop’s own genes are unpredictable. This may lead to the development of unknown toxic/allergenic components, which we cannot analyze for and seriously limiting the selection criteria.

Current testing methods need radical improvements.

Currently, toxicity in food is tested by chemical analysis of macro/micro nutrients and known toxins. To rely solely on this method is at best inadequate and, at worst, dangerous. Better diagnostic methods are needed, such as mRNA fingerprinting, proteomics and secondary metabolite profiling.⁶ However, consuming even minor constituents with high biological activity may have major effects on the gut and body’s metabolism, which can only be revealed from animal studies. Thus novel toxicological/nutritional methods are urgently needed to screen for harmful consequences on human/animal health and to pinpoint these before allowing a GM crop into the food chain.⁷

Genetically modified crops: The risk factor

Leading scientist Dr P M Bhargava warns that India may be flooded with genetically modified foods with unknown health risks unless the government takes urgent action.

More Illnesses Linked to Bt Crops

Further evidence has emerged on the link between common transgenic proteins and serious allergic reactions while regulators turn a deaf ear and approve yet more planting.

The same transgenic proteins implicated in two different GM crops.

Allergy symptoms in farm workers and other workers handling Bt cotton

Bt bacteria and spores were previously linked to allergic reactions

Allergens trigger 75 percent of asthma cases

Regulators are guilty of gross negligence

Ramadoss seeks 10-year green freeze on GM crops

Chennai: Opposing any commercial release of Bt Brinjal, former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has asked the government to put a 10-year moratorium on the environmental release of all GM crops until pending issues were resolved and questions answered.

In the letter dated October 19, Ramadoss has highlighted the reasons for opposing commercial release of Bt brinjal, which he says was created with “the toxic Bt gene”.

Ramadoss said Bt Brinjal could ‘jeopardize the rich diversity of brinjal’ as India is the centre of origin of brinjal.

He said no independent long-term studies have been undertaken and the studies suggested by noted molecular biologist P M Bhargava and a nominee of the Supreme Court in the GEAC, were not done on Bt Brinjal.

He also said that in the absence of proper regulatory process in the country, commercial release of Bt Brinjal could violate consumers' right to safe food and informed choices. Moreover, the decision itself is an infringement of the state government's authority over agriculture.

Anbumani Ramadoss, belongs to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has declared itself to be a green party that promotes organic agriculture and opposes genetically modified crops through its environmental outfit ‘Pasumai Thayagam’ (Green Motherland).

In the letter Ramadoss has pointed out that there are more than 2,500 varieties of brinjal in this country, which could be jeopardized irreversibly with the entry of bt brinjal.

He has said that the regulatory system in India did not require independent research to be taken up before a GM food is allowed and all the research with regard to biodiversity of bt Brinaj was either done or commissioned by the crop developer. “No long-term studies have been undertaken either,” Ramadoss added.

Ramadoss contended that GM was not any solution to the agrarian crisis, instead it would make things worse for farmers and consumers who are entrapped into these unsustainable technologies which are expensive, erode productive resources, leave toxic impacts on man and other life forms and make farming unviable.

The approval would violate consumers' freedom of choices forever. Stating that agriculture and health were state subjects, the former health minister said, government should not be taking any step that violates the Constitutional authority vested with state governments.

Nine Reasons to Say NO to GM Seeds

1. GM seeds have many harmful effects on health.
2. "Internationally about 30 tests are prescribed before a country can allow GM seeds. However, India has done only 6-7 tests.
3. The so called “Expert Committee (EC2)” set up by the GEAC to conduct tests on BT Brinjal has lost its credibility.
4. There is no shortage or immediate threat to Brinjal production in India.
5. Thousands of cattle died in Andhra Pradesh by consuming BT Cotton and caused severe allergies and other illnesses to farm workers . Andra Pradesh government has banned Genetically Modified seeds in the state.
6. India is the center of Origin / Diversity of Brinjal.
7. Most other countries and several states in India have banned GM due to its health hazards.
8. Monopoly of a foreign corporate on the food security of India is dangerous.
9. Damage to the soil and the entire ecosystem.

What is a Genetically Modified Seed?

Typically, genetically modified foods involve a transgenic process. Which means Transgenesis genes from a different species are inserted, which is a form of horizontal gene transfer. These species could be a certain virus or bacteria, which is inserted in the gene structure of the seed, whereby, when a certain pest consumes the seed, the insect will die from the toxins in this seed. Often along with genetic modification, certain hormones are also introduced into the seed to change the color or increase the size of the crop.