Background on ANZFA at end.
Dennis
"Ministers agree on labelling for genetically-modified foods
Australia and New Zealand have decided to make labelling of
genetically-modified foods compulsory on a greater number of products. But
the way has been left open to allow exemptions to the rules.
Australian consumers will soon have new labels on food indicating whether
it's been genetically modified. Sophie Scott reports.
After a lengthy meeting in Canberra, Australia's nine health ministers and
the New Zealand health minister emerged with an agreement to require
mandatory labelling of genetically-modified foods and ingredients. However,
when the details are sorted out, there will be a range of foods exempted
from the labelling rule if they fall beneath so-called threshold levels -
oils and highly refined products such as sugar are two examples. The health
ministers have arranged to maintain an ongoing dialogue every two weeks
during the preparation of final details of labelling rules. Federal
Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Grant Tambling says the outcome should
satisfy community demand. "We've now met the requirements which have been
put on the table with regard to adequate labelling," Mr Tambling said. South
Australian Health Minister Dean Brown says the mandatory labelling should
also be acceptable to the food industry. "I believe that the extra costs
will be very marginal indeed," Mr Brown said. "That's one of the tasks that
need to be worked at over the next few months, to determine cost-effective
ways of implementing this without substantially increasing the cost of
food," he said. "In fact, I think it can be done with virtually no
increasing cost at all." Ministers will meet again in October to fine-tune
the arrangements which would come into force a year later. Arduous After
taking seven hours to reach the compromise, New Zealand Health Minister
Wyatt Creech acknowledged the complexity of the outcome. "This was an
arduous and difficult discussion, not because it was hugely contested,
because the practical implementation of the policy is going to be tricky,"
Mr Creech said. The New South Wales Health Minister, Craig Knowles, says the
decision upholds the rights of consumers. "I think consumers can be
satisfied that we've adopted a stringent position, mandating labelling
requirements, clear indications of what's in food," Mr Knowles said. "That,
of course, responds to many of the calls that have been made right around
Australia in recent weeks," he said. ACT Health Minister Michael Moore says
he is satisfied with the agreement. Mr Moore says the outcome will achieve
most of the aims of those who wanted consumers to be provided with
information on genetically modified ingredients. "Well, of course, it was
difficult," he said. "You don't have ministers meeting on an issue like this
for six hours if it was going to be easy. "There was a whole range of
different ideas which we were trying to accommodate and reach. "But the main
principle was that we wanted to deliver mandatory labelling in a
comprehensive way and that's going to be done." "We're now looking at the
issue of thresholds and whether or not there should be a threshold level for
such foods which contain no protein whatsoever, for example, oils and
refined sugars and so on, that don't carry any of the transgenic material.
"Where that's the case I think there is an argument that a threshold should
be applied and I think it's one that ought to be considered carefully." Cost
The main lobby group representing the food industry has warned that the
agreement on mandatory labelling of genetically-modified food will burden
the industry with extra cost. The Food and Grocery Council says mandatory
labelling could mislead and confuse consumers, and may affect Australia's
international trading obligations. The council's executive director, Mitch
Hooke, says the industry will work with Health Ministers to address issues
of concern.
BACKGROUND