> > Indian Express, Front Page: * > http://www.indianexpress.com/story/221269.html*<http://www.indianexpress.com/story/221269.html> > > * * > > *Doors opened for processed GM foods to enter market* > > *Sonu Jain* > > > > *Wednesday September 26, 2007*** > > > > Order regulation will now be restricted only to GM products which can be > grown, replicated > > > > NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 25: In a move that's likely to have a significant > bearing on the food processing industry, the Government has allowed > processed food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and exempted > it from regulatory approval. > > > > The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a notification on September > 11 that grants exemption to foodstuff whose end-products are not Living > Modified Organisms (LMOs) -- *living organisms can be used to propagate or > reproduce, like in seeds. * > > > > The notification has tremendous implication for the food processing > industry which uses ingredients and additives made of genetically modified > corn, maize and soya. > > > > Until now, producers and importers had to go through the Genetic > Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the apex body for clearing all GMOs. > > > > According to a GEAC member, the mandate of the committee is "environmental > safety". Since GMOs in this form do not propagate or grow, it "does not fall > in their purview". Rule 11 of the Environment Protection Act has been > amended to make this exemption possible. > > > > Regulators say it should be a "health-concern" and should be regulated as > per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Rules 1954 or under the new > Food Safety and Standard Act 2005. But the system under this new Act is yet > to become operational. > > > > Both the Swaminathan Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology and Mashelkar > Committee on r-Pharma have taken the view that the GEAC should be involved > only in regulation of organisms or products where the end-product is a LMO. > > > > This notification marks a major shift in the way GMOs are regulated in the > country after being first introduced in the form of Bt cotton in 2002. > > > > But activists are not too happy. Reacting to the new notification, Suman > Sahai of Gene Campaign said: "This is introducing a new set of laxity in the > system and violates our own laws." > > > > According to the new Food Safety and Standards Act, all genetically > modified food need to have labels. > > > > "This will mean that there will be no traceability and in case there is a > problem, there is no way liability can be fixed. This is not desirable at > all," said Sahai. Though the US has been selling genetically modified food > for nearly two decades now without labels, there have been stray cases of > health hazards associated with processed GMOs. > > > > The most well-known is the *1989 incident where a genetically engineered > brand of L-tryptophan*, a common dietary supplement, *killed 37 Americans*and > *permanently disabled or afflicted more than 5,000 others* with a painful > and potentially *fatal blood disorder*, eosinophilia myalgia syndrome > (EMS), *before it was recalled* by the US Food and Drug Administration. > > > > The manufacturer, *Showa Denko*, Japan's third largest chemical company, > has already paid out *over $2 billion in damages *to EMS victims. > > > > The import of soya oil for humanitarian aid has led to some controversy in > the past. It was finally approved after certification from the country of > export that it has been derived from Roundup Ready Soybeans. In case of > crude soybean oil, the importer was asked to submit a series of analytical > reports from government-approved laboratories. > > > > For now, the lengthy regulatory route will no longer be required to import > soya oil to India. > > > > *Infant formula to salad dressing * > > * * > > In the US, 7 out of 10 processed products on the shelf have some > ingredient or the other that is a genetically modified corn or soya > derivative. *Labelling is not mandatory* and unless specified as > "organic", it is likely to contain GMOs. > > > > * Corn derivatives: Malt, corn syrup, baking powder, confectioner's sugar, > food starch and fructose sugar > > * Soya derivatives: Bread, soya sauce, tofu, margarine, soya lecithin, > protein isolates > > * Common products: *Infant formula*, *cereal*, mayonnaise, crackers, > candy, peanut butter, *tomato sauce*, ice cream, chips, *chocolate*, salad > dressing, *frozen yogurt* > > >
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
