Roxon reckless on labelling of novel foods
02 December 2011The federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has rejected the Blewett National Labelling Review recommendation that there be a: “distinctive labelling protocol with regard to new food technologies,” to respond to: "further technological innovations in food production.”
"Roxon has caved in to the overseas-dominated food processing industry, paving the way for many more risky new foods made using genetic manipulation (GM), irradiation, nanomaterials, etc. to remain unlabelled," says Gene Ethics Director Bob Phelps.
Minister Roxon rejects Blewett's recommendation 28: "That as a general principle all foods or ingredients that have been processed by new technologies (i.e. which trigger pre-market food safety assessments) be required to be labelled."
Roxon's rationale for her reckless position is that: "There is already a process in place to ensure that new technologies are safe before entering the food supply."
"But rigorous scientific evidence of food safety and efficacy is not required when an application is lodged to register a food that was made using risky new technologies which have limited or zero history of use in the human
food supply," Mr Phelps says.
"Blewett also recommends that all the products, ingredients and processing aids derived from new food production, processing and packaging technologies should without exception be fully labelled.
"Roxon ignores all shoppers' right to know through compulsory labelling when new ingredients are the products of processes and materials that are poorly understood and whose long-term negative impacts are uncertain. "We fully support the review panel's case for open and honest labels that inform all shoppers so everyone can make well-informed choices about what to feed their families.
"We had hoped for much stronger labelling laws but, for instance, under Food Standard 1.5.2 most GM foods will still be exempt from any labelling, unless State and New Zealand Health Ministers disagree.
"Under Food Standard 1.5.2 all GM vegetable oils, starches and sugars are exempt from labelling, and the meat milk and eggs from animals raised on GM feed are also unlabelled.
"Without any scientific evidence to support her case, Roxon responds to Blewett's 2nd recommendation by saying of new and untried foods that: "whenever mandatory labelling is proposed, it should be subject to an automatic sunset and review after a defined period."
"This is just irresponsible when there is no requirement to further monitor, test or assess new foods after they are approved for general use on the basis of provisional evidence.
"The right to know what we eat is not negotiable and over 90% of Australians insist on it," Mr Phelps concludes.