GM labellingGenetically modified food is unpopular with European consumers: almost 70 per cent of us don't want to eat products made from GM ingredients and 95 per cent of us want the right to choose. But is it possible to identify and avoid foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
"People don't realise they are eating GMOs on a daily basis," says Dr Pat O'Mahony, head of biotechnology with the Food Safety Authority (FSAI). "Traces are found in most processed foods which contain soya or maize. There is no food safety risk."
EU countries have the strictest GM labelling laws in the world. Since April, all products containing more than 0.9 per cent of GMO must be labelled "this product contains genetically modified organisms" or "this product is produced from genetically modified organisms". This sounds straightforward - but it doesn't mean that every GM food over the 0.9 per cent threshold will be labelled accordingly.
During negotiations on these new rules, member-states agreed to disregard certain products. Your fortified breakfast cereal, for example, may contain GMOs - but it doesn't have to be mentioned on the label.
"The industry tells me that the only commercially available sources of riboflavin this_is_a_left_sq_bracketvitamin B2] and other micronutrients are genetically modified," says Dr O'Mahony. Other products in this category include honey, cheese made with a GM rennet called chymosium, and beer and breads made from GM yeast.
The scientific test for GM content depends on the presence of DNA or protein. "Foods containing a derivative of a GM crop, where no DNA or protein from that crop can be detected this_is_a_left_sq_bracketsuch as oil from GM soya or modified starch from GM maize] need not be labelled," says food writer Joanna Blythman in How to Avoid GM Foods. "Such derivatives turn up in between 60 and 80 per cent of processed food." Mass catering is exempt from the EU labelling law, so restaurants and canteens do not have to inform customers about any GM content.
The legislation makes a distinction between products made "from" GMOs (must be labelled) and those made "with" GMOs (no label necessary). The theory is that if a GM product is used as a processing aid (such as enzymes or hormones) and is not in the final product, it is categorised as "with" rather than "from". However, the issue is still being hotly debated at EU level and no clear definition of the two categories exists, says Dr O'Mahony.
The other side of the story is whether a product making a "no GM" claim is truly GM-free. The FSAI conducts regular testing and has repeatedly found misleading labelling. "It's a big issue. If a product has even a trace of GMOs, it cannot be labelled GM-free," says Dr O'Mahony. "Whether you agree with GM or not, we all agree with the right to choose - and that means accurate labelling."
To guarantee a product containing soya is 100 per cent GM-free is difficult, says Greenpeace, because the same container ships and processing mills are used for both GM and non-GM soybeans.
Some companies misleadingly proclaim "GM-free" on products which could not possibly contain a genetically modified ingredient. Since the EU acceptance of Bt11 sweetcorn, for instance, non-GM sweetcorn can be labelled as such - but tinned peas cannot because no genetically modified equivalent is available. The FSAI is looking into false "GM-free" labelling, and survey results are expected in December.
"One of the big disappointments of the new labelling law is that it doesn't apply to food made from animals given GM feed," says Michael O'Callaghan of the GM-Free Ireland Network. This means a ready-meal containing meat, eggs or dairy products coming from an animal which has consumed GM feed does not have to be labelled "GM".
According to the Department of Agriculture, "a large amount" of genetically modified feed is being used, as more than 82 per cent of maize, soybean and cottonseed imported into the Republic last year originated outside the EU and all these crops are widely available as GM.
The campaign against GMOs in Irish food is supported by An Taisce, Sustainable Ireland, the Irish Doctors' Environmental Association, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Slow Food, Food and Wine magazine, Earthwatch, Friends of the Earth, the Irish Association of Health Stores and all organic producers. "The best way to avoid eating GM is to exercise our legal right to declare the whole island of Ireland GM-free," says O'Callaghan.
GM-Free Ireland Network: www.gmfreeireland.org