Vol. 549 No. 1
82 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has found in a survey that there are misleading claims on food labels that soy-based products contained no genetically modified ingredients; the action he has taken to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4970/02]
The Deputy is referring to a recent survey carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI. This survey was undertaken to determine the level of genetically modified, GM, content in dried soy products, soy substitutes for dairy products and soy infant formulae to ensure that industry is adhering to food labelling regulations.
The results of this survey reveal that though 18 of the 37 samples tested were found to have GM ingredients, all were under the threshold of 1% that triggers mandatory GM labelling and those identified were derived from an EU authorised GM soybean. EU labelling regulations relating to GM foods require that food containing genetically modified ingredients above the 1% threshold, must have clear labelling to indicate that it contains GM ingredients. Six of the 18 samples that tested positive for GM ingredients were mislabelled; five indicated they contained no GM ingredients and one was labelled as organic. Under current European legislation, for a food to be labelled as organic or GM free it must not contain any GM ingredients. The FSAI has advised that there are no known health implications arising from the presence of the GM ingredients identified in these products.
EU legislation governing the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs is clear in its stipulation that food labels must not mislead the public on the composition or production methods of a food or make false claims as to the properties of a food.
The FSAI has contacted the retailers, suppliers and manufacturers whose products were included in the survey to inform them of the test results and to ensure their future compliance with labelling regulations. This survey and others planned for the future will ensure that only EU licensed GM foods are available in Ireland and that such foods display the appropriate labelling information.
