Panel Lack of Agreement Notes Complexity

May 8, 2001

An international committee's inability to reach agreement on a labeling system for foods containing products of biotechnology underscores the complexity of the issue and the importance of continued rational, international dialogue, according to the U.S. Grains Council.

"As we've repeatedly emphasized, the labeling of genetically modified foods is an extremely complex issue. The one-size-fits-all regulations that some countries are seeking to mandate are, in practice, untenable," said Council President and CEO Kenneth Hobbie.

"Council policy opposes mandatory labeling of agricultural biotechnology products except to identify proven health or safety risks," Hobbie explained. "And it's important to note that all biotech products that have been approved for food use by the United States and other major nations such as Japan and Canada have been deemed safe and substantially equivalent to their conventional counterparts."

When the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Food Labeling met in Ottawa, members failed to come to a consensus on standards for labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients. A number of nations, including Argentina, Australia, Canada and South Africa joined the United States in expressing concerns about the practicality and applicability of proposed labeling requirements.

"This week's discussions demonstrate that the debate on labeling is just beginning, and it's extremely encouraging to see more countries taking an active role," Hobbie said. "It will be important for the United States to continue to work with like-minded countries in advance of next year's committee meeting to ensure that reason and science prevail and that we avoid implementing unfounded, unnecessary or unworkable labeling requirements."

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1962 by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to develop international food standards to protect consumer health and to facilitate fair trading practices in foods. Today, there are 165 member countries.