Rock flip
flops on mandatory
labeling of GMOs
Canada’s Minister of Health, Allan Rock was quoted recently as seeming to support the mandatory label-ing of genetically modified foods. “We should be looking at the question of mandatory labeling,” he said.
“The bottom line is consumers want to have the information and they want to have a choice and to understand what they are eating. I think any government should facilitate that. It is about time government caught up to the will of Canadians to be reasonably informed about what they are putting in their bodies.”
Rock failed to support, however, a private member’s bill introduced by Charles Caccia requiring such label-ing.
The gradual infiltration of genetically modified foods into Canada’s food system has concerned the public as well as many consumer and environmental groups. An opinion poll published by The Globe and Mail last May showed that 94% believe that government should order companies to label products with GM ingredients. The Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, the Canadian Health Coalition, the Sierra Fund and many scientists say research has not proven that genetic manipulation safe and may have the potential to cause or inflame allergies, create strains resistant to antibiotics or cause “superweeds” to flourish. In Europe, labeling is already mandatory; other countries such as Australia and Japan are introducing mandatory labeling.
A week after his earlier comments, Rock’s press secretary said that Rock was not committed to voting for the bill introduced by Environment Committee chair Charles Caccia, saying “Rock supports mandatory labeling for the reason of consumer choice. It is not a question of safety.” Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief insists that the government policy is to support only voluntary labeling.
We think labeling of GM foods is important for consumers, and it must be mandatory in order to be effective. Many infant foods contain or potentially could contain GM ingredients. Swiss based Novartis AG, parent to Gerber baby foods, recently confirmed that the baby food it sold in the Philippines contained genetically modified soy. In North America soy-based formulas were found to contain genetically modified soy. After a protest by Greenpeace, Novartis said they would be seeking out another supplier.
