EU and US consumers call for regulation and labelling of products derived from new GM techniques

Today, Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) published a new resolution on consumer concerns about new genetic engineering techniques. Consumers have right to know when new genetic engineering techniques are used, including in their food, but companies are lobbying to exempt such products from regulation. A number of new genetic engineering techniques have been developed which were not in use when current laws on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were drafted.

The new resolution states that risks to human health, animal welfare and the environment must be assessed before products derived from new genetic engineering techniques are placed on the market or released into the environment. Products must also be labelled in accordance with consumers’ rights to know and choose what they are buying, including what they eat.

The resolution makes a set of recommendations to the EU and U.S. authorities for a framework that guarantees the adequate protection of EU and U.S. consumers alike.

TACD urges the EU and US governments to:

- Regulate products of new genetic engineering techniques as genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

- Strengthen regulatory systems to include mandatory pre-market human health evaluation that will screen all foods produced using new genetic engineering techniques for potential hazards

- Develop strong systems of pre-market environmental safety evaluation and post-market monitoring

- Fully consider the welfare of animals altered using new genetic engineering techniques prior to approval

- Adopt mandatory labelling rules for all food produced using new genetic engineering techniques

- Adopt and enforce strict rules for corporate liability and mandatory insurance for companies that want to release organisms altered using new genetic engineering techniques into the environment

- Establish and maintain systems to ensure that identity-preserved supplies of non-genetically-engineered ingredients remain available