April 26/00 / from a press release
SACRAMENTO -- Proposals to mandate labeling of
products derived through biotechnology mistakenly raise questions about food
safety and contribute to global trade tensions, according to the Grocery
Manufacturers of America.
Karil Kochenderfer, GMA Director, International Trade and Environmental
Affairs, testified before a California Senate committee studying the
implications of biotechnology on international trade. She said that
proposals
calling for mandatory biotech labels - such as those under consideration in
California and the United States Congress - could be seen by some consumers
as warning labels.
"The reality is that absent other information, a label indicating genetic
modification mistakenly raises questions about the safety of biotech foods
that have been reviewed and found safe by regulatory agencies worldwide,"
said Kochenderfer. "Even proponents of biotech labeling, such as the Center
for Science in the Public Interest, acknowledge that a congressional
mandatory labeling proposal won't work, because such a label 'would become a
scare label' (CSPI's Michael Jacobson, quoted in BNA Food Safety Report,
4/19/00)."
She added that the Food and Drug Administration already has a labeling
policy in place that requires labeling if products of biotechnology differ
from traditional products in terms of their composition, their nutritional
content, or their allergenicity.
Kochenderfer noted that implementation of mandatory labeling schemes
"confounds government authorities" and raises potential barriers to
international trade.
"Few, if any reliable and efficient tests exist to ascertain whether a
food has been enhanced through biotechnology," said Kochenderfer. "And no
scientific consensus exists as to how these tests should be consistently and
uniformly applied. Tests of oils derived from biotech soy, corn and cotton
routinely fail to detect genetic modification.
"Lacking such tests, companies look to documentation from grain suppliers
that traditional varieties of soy, corn and other commodities have been
separated or 'channeled' apart from biotech varieties. This segregation
comes
at significant cost to U.S. farmers and grain handlers, which is passed down
to food processors, retailers and ultimately consumers without any food
safety
benefits."
Kochenderfer's testimony before the State Senate Committee on Finance, Investment and International Trade is available at www.gmabrands.com.
(posted without permission)
