Companies that falsely label food products as being free of genetically modified (GM) ingredients could face prosecution and possible fines, according to the Office of Consumer Affairs.
Additionally, legal action in the form of an injunction could be taken against retailers who refuse to stop selling inaccurately labelled foods.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said that several companies have labelled products as GM-free, in spite of the fact that FSAI tests indicated that GM ingredients were present in the foods.
Companies found by the FSAI to have falsely labelled their food as GM-free include Cow&Gate, Health Store, Itona Products and Direct Food.
Among these companies, only Cow&Gate has agreed to change the label on the product in question.
Mr Pat O' Mahony, chief biotechnology specialist for the FSAI, said his organisation currently tests batches of food, and if they are deemed to contain GM materials, the FSAI asks the retailer to remove the batch.
"If there's a certain brand continually having inaccurate labelling then we'd ask [the retailer\] to reconsider that product and reconsider the brand in total," he said.
Because many of the companies that produce the food often are not located in the Republic, the FSAI has no jurisdiction over them. That's why the group has chosen to focus on the retailers, Mr O'Mahony said.
"The retailers are the people ultimately responsible for providing accurate labelling," he said. Products that contain less than 0.9 per cent GM ingredients do not need to be labelled as GM foods.
Mr O'Mahony said that the FSAI would be starting a campaign focusing on testing the content of foods labelled as organic and GM-free that contain soy or maize as a main ingredient.
"The retailers know that we're starting on a new campaign this year, and they'll know what's coming down the line, so they can't say they weren't warned," he said.