Vol. 473 No. 5
164 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he intends to introduce a common labelling mark to identify food and ingredients which have been subject to bioengineering, namely, hybridised seeds and food and ingredients which have been irradiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1869/97]
Foods and food ingredients which have been subject to bioengineering of the kind generally referred to as genetic engineering would come within the scope of the recently adopted regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients. My colleague, the Minister for Health will shortly assume responsibility for the implementation in Ireland of this regulation.
The regulation provides for an assessment and an approval system for novel foods and food ingredients including labelling requirements of such foods where this is desirable to inform the consumer of any characteristic or food property such as composition, nutritional value or nutritional effects and intended use of the food which renders the food no longer equivalent to an existing food or food ingredient.
There are specific labelling requirements to ensure that the final consumer is informed of the presence of an organism genetically modified by techniques of genetic modification generally referred to as genetic engineering.
Novel foods and novel food ingredients produced from but not containing genetically modified organisms will have to be labelled if they are no longer equivalent to an existing food or food ingredient.
