GMO Labeling Alerts Food Firms ( 08/06/26 ) | |||||
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Part | Charger | moonsj | date | 08/06/26 | |
By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
Lawmakers filed a bill to expand labeling of genetically modified crops to all food products, amid concerns on food safety rising among citizens.
The tightening of GMO (genetically modified organism) labeling policy will help consumers choose between GM and non-GM food, said Rep. Lim Doo-sung of the Grand National Party said. However, crop importers worried that the labeling will result in further rise of already-soaring food price.
Currently, processed food such as snacks and ice cream that use oil, starch and sugar extracted from GM corns and soybeans are not subjected to the labeling rule.
``There is a global debate over the safety of GMOs, and consumers have a right to buy or not buy them,'' Lim said in a joint statement with nine other lawmakers from two major parties, the GNP and the United Democratic Party. ``It is the responsibility of food companies to ensure this right of consumers by labeling genetically modified ingredients in their products.''
The bill is likely to receive support from other parties such as the Democratic Labor Party, which has been calling for such protective actions on imported foods. It will be presented as soon as the National Assembly starts its session, an official at Lim's office said.
Food companies have long used GM corn and soybean oils, though most consumers are not aware of this. This year, they began importing GM corn in making starch, which is a core ingredient of many foods such as bread, noodles, cookies and soft drinks. The firms believe many consumers won't buy GM food if labeled.
``People have been eating GMOs for years and there was no problem. We don't understand why the politicians are bringing up this issue at this point,'' said a manager of Daesang, a major importer of GM corn.
``The burden will be eventually put on consumers, because if we can't sell GM starch, that will push up the price of end-products by more than 30 percent,'' he said.
GMO refers to plants and animals of which the genetic materia
l is deliberately altered using modern DNA engineering techniques. Many GM crops are manufactured to be either tolerant to herbicide or pests, so farmers can have high yields without using much herbicide or insecticide.
There is no solid evidence that GMOs currently on sale are harmful to human health. But many NGOs, especially ones in Europe, have opposed the consumption of this high-tech crop.
In Korea, GM crops are mostly consumed second-hand via cooking oil, soy sauce and livestock feed because consumers shun raw consumption of those. The government has exempted food makers from labeling processed foods. Officials at Korea Food and Drug Administration say it is technically difficult to detect GM ingredients in processed food such as oil and starch.
``The GMO labeling policy may act against the interest of food importing and processing companies in the short term. But in the long term, it will help raise the competence of the food industry because it will build consumers' confidence in their products,'' Rep. Lim said.
indizio@koreatimes.co.kr
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/06/123_26242.html
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