Reuters/Dow Jones | December 14, 1999
TOKYO - Japan's health ministry was cited as saying on Tuesday it would not approve any more genetically modified foods pending the introduction of tighter regulations next April.
Under the new procedures it will, the story adds, be mandatory for suppliers of GM foods to pass the ministry's safety checks and the import of foods containing unapproved genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will be banned.
The rules are being tightened in response to criticism by consumers who say the current system, whereby suppliers seek approval under the ministry's food safety guidelines on a voluntary basis, is too lax.
The ministry said it had stopped accepting new applications under the current guidelines and had frozen the assessment of three GM crop varieties and one GM food additive until the new procedures were in place.
The types are a high-oleic soybean developed by Optimum Quality Grains of the United States, an insect/virus protection potato developed by U.S. firm Monsanto Co and an insect-protection/herbicide-resistant corn developed by Plant Genetics Systems of Belgium.
The GM food additive is a phytase developed by Novo Nordisk A/S of Denmark.
In addition, the story adds, 29 GM crop varieties and six food additives that have already been approved will be re-examined by the ministry's panel of experts in light of the new rules.
Itaru Nishimoto, director general of the ministry's environmental health bureau was quoted as telling reporters that, "We have decided to suspend safety assessments (of GMOs) until the new procedures are implemented in April next year. We will change the approval procedures, although the contents of our safety assessment will basically remain unchanged."
