The Australian http://www.news.com.au/headlines/ US loses genetic food bid By SID MARRIS 3may99 A BID by the US to resist compulsory labelling of genetically modified food had been rejected at a meeting of the UN food standards body, consumer groups said yesterday. Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and other opponents withdrew support from the US and Argentina in the first-stage vote on the standard, the Codex Alimentarius, in Ottawa, Canada. Although non-binding, the codex is the reference used by the World Trade Organisation for settling trade disputes and will lessen the potential for the US taking restraint of trade actions against nations that insist on labels. Consumers International director-general Julian Edwards said progress was slow but retailers were responding to demands for genetically modified free foods. "The real world has recognised that labelling is essential," he said. Australian and New Zealand health ministers have written a draft code for labelling, although local industry believes its wording is too broad and unenforceable. The Australian Food and Grocery Council says in most cases the material is the by-product of modified plants, such as oils or starches, with no altered protein, making the warning meaningless. The issue here has been further complicated by the long delay in the Federal Government's finalising the separate issue of regulation and foods standards. A Gene Technology Office, acting as a clearing house for applications, is expected to be announced next month. The deadline for applications for approval of modified commodities already on the shelves expired on Friday but the Australian New Zealand Food Authority said it was too difficult to say how many applications had been received. ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
