The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which is the competent authority in Ireland for the enforcement of EU legislation regarding genetically modified (GM) foods, carries out checks on the marketplace for compliance with GM legislation on an on-going basis.
Ireland, in common with other Member States and as required by EU rules, applies EU legislation on GM foods whether produced within the EU or imported. Under EU rules, only authorised GM foods, or foods containing ingredients thereof, can be placed on the market. The safety of GM products is independently assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on a case-by-case basis and GM food is required to be clearly labelled thus ensuring greater consumer confidence and choice.
Government policy with regard to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is based on the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Modern Biotechnology published in October 2000. In line with the recommendations of this report, my Department adopts a ‘positive but precautionary' approach to the issue of GM foods which reflects the priority given to consumer choice and safety.
At the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health's GM Food and Feed Section meeting held on 11 September 2006 the European Commission informed Member States of reports received from non-Governmental organisations to the effect that an unauthorised genetically modified rice, known as Bt63, had been detected in products imported from China. The reports indicated that the rice products, which are not authorised for use anywhere in the world, were found in Chinese specialty stores in the UK, France and Germany.
At the meeting of the Standing Committee held yesterday (Monday, 23 October) the Commission provided an update on this issue to Member States' representatives. The Commission has requested further information on the rice products and testing methods and has followed up on the information received: it is currently awaiting validation of the testing methods used. The Commission has also contacted the Chinese authorities seeking data on GM rice in China, in particular as regards the Bt genetic constructs developed in China.
In the last number of weeks a number of Member States through their official controls (France, Germany and Austria) have informed the Commission of the presence of Chinese food products containing the unauthorised rice. In respect of the Irish market, the FSAI has not discovered any samples of rice products testing positive for this GM rice.
The Commission has pledged to keep Member States informed on progress on this issue and has indicated that similar emergency measures to those taken with the GM RICE LL 601 will be introduced if considered necessary based on information as it becomes available. This issue will again be on the agenda for the next meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health's GM Food and Feed Section.
Member States were advised by the Commission to ensure compliance of products with EU law as regards non-authorised GMOs. In addition, the Commission has informed the industry that it is their responsibility to ensure that they do not place on the market any products which do not comply with EU legislation.