This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New GM Labelling Rules Introduced
10/04/2000
From today, foods and food ingredients using additives and flavourings which contain GM material will have to be labelled. Additionally, businesses selling foods to catering establishments will have to label all products containing GM soya and maize.
The domestic Regulations on the labelling of GM foods, which come into force in Scotland and England today provide for the enforcement of new EC rules in this area for imported and domestic foods. Similar domestic regulations will also be made in Wales and Northern Ireland shortly.
Welcoming the new Regulations, Sir John Krebs, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said:"I said at the Agency's launch last week that we want to support consumer choice. I therefore very much welcome these new requirements which will further improve the ability of consumers to make informed choices.
"However, there is still much to be done before the Agency will be satisfied that the labelling rules in this area are complete. This is why we are pressing the European Commission to bring forward further proposals on 'GM free' claims."
The Chairman of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee, Sir John Arbuthnott echoed these sentiments, and welcomed the regulations saying:
"I wholly endorse Sir John Krebs' comments. I am very pleased that we are able to announce this important step forward so early in the life of the new Agency. Consumers need to be able to make informed choices about the foods they eat. These regulations will help provide the information which consumers need in deciding whether or not to eat GM foods.
"With food safety being a devolved matter it is vital that we in the Food Standards Agency Scotland represent the best interests of consumers in Scotland. We will do that by supporting the UK position in continuing to press for even tighter European rules on labelling."
BACKGROUND
1. EC Regulation 49/2000 (OJ L6 11.1.2000 p.13) comes into force on 10 April 2000. The Regulation amends EC Regulation 1139/98 (on the labelling of foods containing GM soya and maize) to widen the scope of the labelling requirements to include foods sold to catering establishments. It also establishes a 1 per cent de minimis threshold for the adventitious contamination of non-GM produce, below which it will not require labelling.
2. EC Regulation 50/2000 (OJ L6 11.1.2000 p.15) also comes into force on 10 April 2000. The Regulation requires the labelling of foods and food ingredients containing additives and flavourings containing novel DNA or protein resulting from genetic modification.
3. EC Regulation 1139/98 (OJ L159 3.6.1998 p.4), requiring the labelling of foods containing GM soya or maize came into force on 1 September 1998. Enforcement of this Regulation was provided by way of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (as amended; in particular by the Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1999).
4. The Genetically Modified and Novel Food (Labelling) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (SSI No: 2000/83) draw together all the current domestic rules on GM food labelling. Copies are available from the Stationery Office. The Regulations provide for the continued enforcement in Scotland of existing rules (EC Regulation 1139/98 and Article 8 (1) of the EC Novel Foods Regulation); as well as providing for the enforcement in England of EC Regulations 49 and 50/2000. The domestic Regulations also provide flexible labelling arrangements for appropriate businesses, and penalties for non-compliance. In England, The Genetically Modified and Novel Foods (Labelling) (England) Regulations 2000 apply. Copies of the Scottish and English regulations are available from the Stationery Office. Separate provisions will be made in Wales and Northern Ireland.
5. A copy of the final text of the Genetically Modified and Novel Food (Scotland) (England) Regulations 2000, EC Regulations 49/2000 and 50/2000, and the accompanying Regulatory Impact Assessment, are available from Barry Greig, Food Standards Agency Scotland, 6 th Floor, St. Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NG. Details on the English Regulations are available from Ms Candice Olsen, FSA, P.O. Box 31037, Room 239c, Ergon House, c/o 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3WG.
6. A similar Press Release has been issued in England today.