Canada to develop GM food voluntary label standard
Date: 20-Sep-99
Country: CANADA
"The Government of Canada believes in the right of consumers to have
access to information as it relates to biotechnology and food,"
Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief said in a statement.
The ministry will support the project, launched by the Canadian Council
of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) and the Canadian General Standards Board
(CGSB).
Environmental and consumer groups in Canada, following the lead of
similar organisations in Europe, have started demanding that foods made
with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) be labeled
The CCGD represents 80 percent of major food retailers in Canada, a
major world agricultural producer.
The CGSB is an accredited standards development organisation within the
federal government.
"Consistent codes of practices for voluntary labeling of foods derived
from biotechnology will give consumers information to make choices,"
Vanclief said.
The Canadian government has refused to enforce mandatory labeling of GM
foods, following a policy favoured in the United States.