Labelling of GM food . :)

As I was reading a post on the labelling of GM food posted by Fang Min and found it very interested and decided to research a little more about it.

As we all know that GM food have been incoroperated in our lives in such a wide area, we might be eating GM food daily without ourselves knowing as many GM food are not stated on their labelling. In different countries, there are different standards set in regards with the labelling of GM food.

Firstly, there are two diffeent types of labelling; voluntary labelling and mantory labelling(yes just like what we have for the labbeling of food packaging in singapore. :) ) of course many health organisations wishes that GM food would be labelled on food packaging in a mantory manner so as to the consumers know what they are eating but I believe this would result in extra cost for the company but if it is voluntery labelling, many companies would not even care to do any labelling for GM food.

Below is a list of how are the labelling system for GM food is like in different countries.

United States
Compulsary to label that it is GM food only when the food is very different in terms of nutritional values, composition and also the allergies present in them. If it does not fall under any of the stated terms, then the labelling is voluntary.

Countries from the European Union
All GM food has to be labelled since November 2003. In addition of that, processed food that contains more than 0.9% GM food has to be labelled too.

Australia and New zealand
All GM food that has be produced or imported must be labelled.

Japan
All GM food must be labelled. If in terms of processed food, the Gm food has to be labelled if the total weight of GM food used is more than 5% or the total weight.

Korea
GM food containing more than 3%GM materials have to be labelled. Processed food which contain any of the GM food containing more than 3%GM materials as the main 5 ingredients has to be labelled too.

China
All GM food should be properly labelled.

Reference
Centre for Food Safety, (2011). International development in labelling of GM foods. Retrieved on June 27,2011 from http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_gmf/programme_gmf_gi_info4.html

Chuiying (Yvonne)