Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 2

Written Answers. - Genetically Modified Foods.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

72 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health his views on whether it is right and in the public interest not to have enshrined in Irish and European law the principle that all genetically modified foods be properly labelled as such. [6709/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

73 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health his views on genetically modified foods; and his views on whether it is in the long-term interests of the consumer and the farmer to introduce a radical new technique into farming when the consequences in the medium and long-term are so unclear. [6712/97]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 73 together.

I wish to inform the Deputy that, in addition to existing EU legislation relating to the deliberate release — field trials — and placing on the market of genetically modified organisms — which, in Ireland, is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for the Environment — the European Parliament and Council recently adopted Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients. Genetically modified foods come within the scope of "novel foods", as set out in Article 1.2 of that Regulation.

The Novel Foods Regulation is due to come into effect in all member states in mid-May of this year. My Department has assumed responsibility for its implementation in this country.

The regulation provides that novel foods and novel food ingredients must undergo a safety assessment and be officially approved/authorised before being placed on the market. Thus, the regulation, which is an internal market measure, ensures that common rules and procedures in relation to novel foods and ingredients will apply across all member states of the European Union. I believe the controls now available under the EU legislation will provide protection for both consumers and producers but I will be keeping the matter under continuing review.

In relation to his specific points on the labelling of novel foods, I refer the Deputy to article 8 of the Regulation. Essentially, there must be specific labelling to inform the consumer of any characteristic or food property, e.g. composition, nutritional value, nutritional effects, intended use of the food, which renders a novel food or novel food ingredient no longer equivalent to an existing food or food ingredient. There must also be specific labelling to advise the consumer of the presence in the novel food or novel food ingredient of:

—material which is not present in an existing equivalent foodstuff and which may have implications for the health of certain sections of the population;

—material which is not present in an existing equivalent foodstuff and which gives rise to ethical concerns; or

—an organism genetically modified by techniques of genetic modification.

I wish to point out that the labelling requirements for novel foods as prescribed by the above mentioned EU regulation are additional to the general food labelling provisions which are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Enterprise and Employment.

The new Novel Food Regulation will harmonise the rules which apply in the various member states in relation to the novel foods issue and my Department is participating in discussions at EU level concerning the practicalities of the implementation process.