Part 3. Labelling of GM Foods
Are GM foods required to be labelled?
This is a mandatory requirement under Standard 1.5.2 Food Produced using Gene Technology for GM foods to be labelled. These requirements came into effect in Australia and New Zealand in December 2001 and are intended to provide information to consumers to facilitate choice, assisting consumers to purchase or avoid GM foods depending on their own views and beliefs.
The standard requires that food (including ingredients, food additives and processing aids) be labelled with the words ‘genetically modified’, if novel DNA and/or novel protein from an approved GM variety is present in the final food. Therefore the general labelling requirements are based on the presence of novel DNA and/or protein at detectable levels in the food itself rather than on the process used. There are also additional labelling requirements where GM foods have altered characteristics compared to their conventional counterpart. For example, if a GM food has an increased level of a particular nutrient (e.g. vitamin), or has to be cooked or prepared in a different way compared to the conventional food, then this also needs to be indicated on the label. These additional labelling requirements also apply where the GM food raises significant ethical, cultural and religious concerns with respect to genetic modification.
FSANZ determines whether an additional labelling requirement is warranted through the standard development/variation process. For example, FSANZ has assessed two GM foods that have been found to have altered characteristics. These were high oleic acid soybeans and high lysine corn. In the case of high oleic soybeans, the label must include a statement that the food has been genetically modified to contain high levels of oleic acid. For high lysine corn, the label must include a statement that the food has been genetically modified to contain increased levels of lysine. The only exception to this is where the protein content has been removed as part of a refining process.
Where can I find this information on the label?
The statement ‘genetically modified’ must be used in conjunction with the name of the food or in association with the specific ingredient in the ingredient list.
For example, for a single ingredient food such as soy flour, the label would appear as follows:
Soy Flour
Genetically Modified
Or
Soy Flour
From genetically modified soya beans
Or in the case of a food containing multiple ingredients, the ingredient list may look something like the following:
Ingredients: Soy Protein Isolate (genetically modified); Maltodextrin; Vegetable Oil; Food Acid (332); Emulsifier (371); Vegetable Gum (407); Water Added.
Are some foods excluded from mandatory labelling?
A number of exclusions to the mandatory labelling requirements exist. The types of GM food not subject to the labelling requirements include:
- highly processed food where the processing removes all DNA and/or protein; and
- minor ingredients, including processing aids and food additives (unless they contain novel DNA and/or novel protein).
Examples of highly refined foods include refined vegetable oils or sugars. However, if these highly processed foods contain altered characteristics, e.g. refined oil with an altered fatty acid profile, then the food is still required to be labelled.
The Standard also allows a food in which an approved GM food is unintentionally present in a quantity of no more than 10g/kg (1%) per ingredient to remain unlabelled. This exclusion applies in circumstances where the manufacturer has actively sought to avoid GM food (including ingredients or processing aids) but there is an inadvertent presence of GM material. As long as the presence is unintentional and under the permitted amount of 10g/kg per ingredient, there is no requirement to label the product as containing an approved GM food, ingredient or processing aid. GM foods that are not approved in the Standard however are not permitted in any food either intentionally or unintentionally.
What about food purchased in restaurants?
Foods that are intended for immediate consumption that are prepared and sold from food premises and vending vehicles are exempt from mandatory labelling. Types of food premises captured by this exemption include restaurants; take away outlets, caterers and self-catering institutions. However the Food Acts in Australian States and Territories have a general provision which prohibits a food business or person from supplying food by way of sale if it is not of the nature or substance demanded by the purchaser. Therefore if a consumer wants to know whether the ingredients used are from a GM source, the onus is on the vendor to provide information about the product, which is not misleading or untruthful. This is another mechanism which enables the consumer to obtain the information they require to make an informed purchasing decision.
What about unpackaged food?
If the food is unpackaged (e.g. loose vegetables in a grocery store) then the information that otherwise would have been on the package, must be displayed on or in connection with the display of the food.