Friday, March 29, 2024

GE food requires law change

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The sale of GE food in New Zealand has several hoops to pass through before products can legally hit the shelves.
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The Hazardous Substance and New Organisms Act allows import of non-organism foods made from GM plants, including cottonseed, soy and canola.

But a Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) panel is reviewing how the code applies specifically to the new GE technology.

Normally the sale of older GM technology foods requires ministerial approval after a FSANZ recommendation that includes a safety assessment and public consultation.

That applies to both locally made and imported food products. 

NZ can opt out of the joint standard on grounds of health, safety, environmental or cultural issues.

An FSANZ spokesperson said a key question for the review is whether food code definitions are still fit for purpose and whether pre-market safety assessments for GE foods are justifiable in terms of risk.

“FSANZ is now in the process of considering possible options and timing for progressing the work beyond the review. When the review is complete FSANZ will decide whether to prepare a proposal to amend the code.”

Public consultation and ministerial approval will be required to amend the code to finally allow GE food sales.

A final review report is due out later this year.

Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the council has made a brief submission to the call for comment FSANZ issued on GE foodstuffs. 

Of 68 submissions made, a third were from NZ.

The council’s submission said don’t get ahead of reviews under way in Australia and supported an expert panel on new breeding techniques to advise FSANZ in the interim.

Council members have not taken up GE ingredients in food because there has not been a consumer benefit worth launching onto NZ supermarket shelves.

“This is changing as mainstream consumers increasingly make their purchasing decisions on a range of other factors such as taste, price and brand.” 

If there are significant and genuine benefits from GE food produced in NZ consumers value then firms will support innovation.

“It has been particularly interesting to observe consumer reactions to the GE heme in the Impossible Burger.

“It’s fair to assume quite a few anti-GE supporters have been quick to overlook the GE component of this plant-based meat.”

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