GE foods will not be labeled in supermarkets, despite
promises to allow consumer choice and the public have been
hoodwinked.
Ministers and government MPs have told the
public that new regulations for gene technology will allow
consumers’ the right to choose by keeping labelling of GMO
food sold in supermarkets.
On 21st February, Farmers
Weekly reported that GE
Foods will be labelled in supermarkets, just as the
government had promised before the election in the National
Party manifesto.[1]
But on March 10th this was
retracted after the publishers were contacted by Food
Authorities to say GE foods will be exempted from labelling
under proposals P1055.
“Farmers Weekly reported that
they got it wrong too and had been told by FSANZ that GE
food will not be labelled in
supermarkets.[2]
“This is a broken promise to the
public. People demand the right to choose and want products
from gene editing to be labelled,” said Jon Carapiet,
spokesman for GE-Free New Zealand (in Food and
Environment).
The magazine also announced that FSANZ
propose increasing the levels of glyphosate (Roundup’s
active ingredient) allowed in food.
“People have been
hoodwinked. They want the right to choose to avoid GE
products and don’t want increased levels of chemical
residue in food.
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Authorities want to increase
residue of Glyphosate allowed in food, saying it is
still safe, even when in the US Billions is paid out in
compensation by Monsanto-Bayer. [3]
Farmers are also
calling the government not to take away the right to
choose.
A survey
of farmers shows that 74% do not agree with claimed
benefits for them of deregulated gene technology.
[4]
References:
[1] https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/gmo-products-will-be-labelled-in-supermarkets/
[2]
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/council-seeks-to-refine-gm-labelling-in-supermarkets/
[3]
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/nz-food-safety-considers-pushing-up-max-glyphosate-residue-levels/
[4]
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/weekly-poll-results/gene-tech-access-poll-results-march-13/
