Zambia lifts ban on GMO imports

Zambia Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya says Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) food stuffs have been found not to affect the health of human organs following their consumption.
 

Explaining the findings of studies undertaken into GMO consumption in Parliament, [February 28], Dr Chilufya told MPs that GMO food stuffs were safe for consumption.
 

Dr Chilufya explained that government had actually lifted the ban on the importation of GMO food stuffs, and that supermarkets were already stocking them on their shelves but in accordance with the provisions of the Biosafety Act.
 

“The ban on Genetically Modified Organisms is no longer in effect. The House may wish to note that the ban GMOs was [enacted] because Zambia did not have the capacity to handle GMOs due to lack of qualified human resource and appropriate infrastructure….to guide the use and application of modern bio-technology,” said Dr Chilufya.
 

“All imported products are subjected to a risk assessment to ascertain their safety to humans and animals and the environment; routine inspections are carried out and products that do not adhere to the provisions of the Biosafety Act are confiscated, and several studies have been [done] on the safety of GMOs in human consumption [and] these studies have found organ health and function to be unaffected by GMOs,” said Dr Chilufya.