19 Mar 2012 Ignoring of GM-labelling laws sparks outrage
NGO lobby group, the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) is has expressed outrage after finding that several food products have tested positive for genetically modified (GM) content, but are all unlabelled as is required by the Consumer Protection Act. Meanwhile, the CGCSA and the food companies concerned have responded saying the GM labelling issue has still to be clarified.
But Mariam Mayet, head of anti-GM lobby group African Centre for Biosafety (ACB), says food producers fear a consumer backlash.
“And if there is a consumer backlash to GM foods, then farmers might want to move away from GM crops, and if farmers get skittish, then the whole GM industry is threatened,” Mayet said.
Consumer Protection Act regulations require producers and suppliers of food containing five percent or more of GM organisms to state on the label “contains genetically modified organisms” or “produced using genetic modification”.
ACB sent samples of four products with no GM labels to the GMO-testing facility at the University of the Free State.
Nestlé’s Cerelac Honey contained 77 percent GM maize; Bokomo wheat-free Pronutro 90 percent GM maize and 71 percent GM soya; Premier Foods’ Impala maize meal 66 percent GM maize; Futurelife energy meal 100 percent GM maize and 36 percent GM soya.
“Consumers are being wilfully deceived and deprived of their right to make informed choices about the food they eat,” said Mayet.
“GMOs present a risk to health and to the environment. Consumers who want to avoid them are not being allowed to do so,” she said.
Asked why they failed to label GM foods, Nestlé spokeswoman Motshidisi Mokwena said she was “trying to contact the African Centre for Biosafety to obtain the report and provide an informed response”.
Felix Lombard of Pioneer Foods said the regulations were unclear. He said the Consumer Goods Council of SA had sought clarification with the Department of Trade and Industry and the National Consumer Commission, but had not received a response.
Premier Foods CEO Tjaart Kruger conceded that they should have GM labels on their maize, and said they would be phasing in the new labels.
Futurelife’s Paul Saad said consultants had said this was “a grey area so we must not label it”.
From 1 October, 2011, food producers, importers and packagers are required by law, in terms of the Consumer Protection Act and its regulations, to label GM foods and marketing materials where the GM content is 5% or more.
GM labelling issue not clarified
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), the industry body representing over 12 000 member companies in retail, wholesale, manufacturing within the FMCG industry, has in the meantime released a statement saying it believes it is of great importance that the industry, consumers and consumer bodies have a clear understanding of the events surrounding the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and its GM labelling requirements.
The statement reads:
Genetic modification has been used in the global forefront for decades and these modifications are essential to assist globally in sustainable food supply. GM products have been used and are approved by the South African government as being safe for human consumption.
In June 2011, CGCSA formally requested clarification on this issue from the National Consumer Commissioner (NCC) to ensure industry compliance with the regulation. Clarity is being sought on whether only the four commodities, maize, cotton, soybean and canola have to be labelled according to the provisions of the regulations or whether labelling is also required where the four commodities are present in product. No formal response has been received and further attempts to clarify this issue have been unsuccessful.
The CGCSA will ontinue in its efforts to obtain clarity from the NCC to ensure consumers are informed.
Source: Independent Online