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Brussels, 22 December 1997
The Commission's draft proposal of 3 December 97 on the labelling of food made from GM soya beans and maize is not satisfactory
Euro Coop, the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives supports labelling which provide consumers with adequate and complete information on food made from genetically modified materials.
However, Euro Coop considers that the Commission's draft proposal of 3 December last on rules for the labelling of food intended for the final consumer produced from genetically modified (GM) soya beans and maize is not satisfactory for the following reasons :
- The labelling of genetically modified products should not be based on analytical methods to detect or not detect fragments of genetically modified DNA in the final product.
- The authorisation for manufacturers to use the label "may contain ingredients produced from GM soya/maize" will confuse consumers and will certainly not respect their wish to make an informed choice and to know what the food contains.
Euro Coop repeats that full labelling of genetically modified products depends on segregation and traceability.
(For background information : Euro Coop position papers on GM soya beans and GM maize respectively dated 16/10/96 and 6/02/97).
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