To: "Pc int'l list" <permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: GE Foods will be labelled in Australia and NZ
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 07:45:13 +1200
Bob Phelps wrote:
> GE Foods will be labelled in Australia and NZ
>
> Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has worked so hard and well
> on this campaign so far. Remember though that it is far from over!!
>
> By a vote of six (Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas, SA and WA) to four (the Commonwealth,
> New Zealand, NT, and Victoria), Health Ministers today resolved to move
> towards the labelling of genetically engineered foods in Australia and NZ.
>
> But this is by no means the end of the matter.
>
> No open process has been established for community participation in
> deciding what the rules will be. The food industry will certainly continue
> to try and influence the outcome to minimise disclosure.
>
> Also, Monsanto's applications for Roundup Ready (herbicide tolerant) soy,
> corn, canola and cotton, and Bt (insect killing) corn and canola are in the
> pipeline (public comments officially close 23/12 but by the end of January
> should be OK). They will not find much favour if labelled as they offer no
> benefits to food buyers while posing many risks, and may contain elevated
> levels of synthetic chemical residues or insecticidal toxins.
>
> Next Steps
>
> 1. Seek participation in the process of finalising the standard, to ensure
> that the labelling regime works well, and delivers useful information to
> food buyers.
>
> Contact your Health Minister, and ANZFA Tel: 02 6271 2222 Fax: 02 6271 2278
> Email: "ANZFA Standards Liaison Officer" <slo@anzfa.gov.au>
>
> 2. Make a submission on Monsanto's six GE food proposals.
>
> The public release documents (inadequate as they are) are available from
> ANZFA. We will try to supply parts of Monsanto's proposals if needed, as
> they are only available on the public register in Canberra. This should be
> protested.
>
> We will have a briefing ready on Monday for circulation to you all. Sorry
> for delay.
>
> 3. Continue to ring the food companies listed in the campaign flyer
> recently distributed. Particularly focus on all retailers as they are at
> the interface with customers who want good information.
>
> Following
>
> The Ministers' announcement;
> GeneEthics media release;
> Dick Copeman's (Consumer Food Network) comment;
> NZ Commentary.
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND FOOD STANDARDS COUNCIL
>
> Thursday 17 December 1998
>
> HEALTH MINISTERS DECIDE KEY FOOD ISSUES
>
> The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) met in Canberra
> today and made a number of important decisions about the safety of the food
> we eat.
>
> ANZFC consists of Health Ministers from the Commonwealth, each state and
> Territory and the New Zealand Associate Minister for Health. It is chaired
> by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Health and Aged
> Care, Senator the Hon. Grant Tambling.
>
> The following important decisions were made.
>
> ......
>
> The labelling of genetically modified food where it is substantially
> equivalent
>
> Health Ministers, by a majority vote, have asked ANZFA (the Australia NZ
> Food Authority) to require labelling of genetically modified food where it
> is substantially equivalent, by developing a draft amendment to the Food
> Standards Code which takes into account the need to:
>
> (a) label if the manufacturer knows the food contains genetically
> modified
> material; and
> (b) if the manufacturer is uncertain about the food's contents, they
> must
> indicate that the food may contain genetically modified material.
>
> If the manufacturer knows the product to be free of genetically modified
> material there will be no requirement to label the product however it may
> be labelled as free of genetically modified material.
>
> Health Ministers asked ANZFA to develop for their further consideration a
> definition of the term genetically modified food, recognising that there
> are many food ingredients such as sugars and oils which can be made from
> genetically modified plants but are not themselves genetically modified.
>
> Early next year, Ministers will consider the draft amendment to the Food
> Standards Code proposed by ANZFA.
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> NEWS MEDIA RELEASE 17/12/98
>
> Genetically Engineered Foods to be Labelled
>
> The GeneEthics Network today congratulated Health Ministers on their
> decision, by a six to four vote, to require labels on all genetically
> engineered foods.
>
> Over 90% of Australians will welcome this.
>
> "We are pleased that Ministers rejected the food industryís ëno-labelí
> position. It has no scientific or logical basis," said Bob Phelps,
> GeneEthics Director.
>
> "It would have been madness to label sweeter foods, but not to label high
> risk foods such as those, with viral particles, antibiotic resistance genes
> or insecticidal toxins," he said.
>
> "The labels will guarantee the right to choose what foods we eat," he said.
>
> "It is also good sense to copy Europe and Asia, our major trading partners,
> who label," he said.
>
> "We now want a ban on GE foods unless they offer direct benefits to food
> buyers, and stronger assessment standards, equal to best practice in the
> world," Mr Phelps said.
>
> "Engineered foods have no history of safe use, contain new genes and
> proteins never in food before, and many have high residues of synthetic
> agricultural chemicals," he said.
>
> Monsanto now wants Roundup Ready soy, canola, cotton and corn approved,
> that may contain 200 times current maximum residues of Roundup herbicide.
>
> "They help US farmers to kill weeds better but we get the chemical
> residues," he said.
>
> "We will now work to keep these hazards out of the food supply," he
> concluded.
>
> END
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> Well done everyone!
>
> Today the health ministers voted by a 6 to 4 majority to
> require labelling of G-E food.
>
> They sent ANZFA back to the drawing board to draw up a new
> standard for labelling "substantially equivalent" G-E food.
> (They had already decided to require labelling of
> "non-substantially equivalent" food at their last meeting)
>
> If the food manufacturer knows that the food contains G-E
> ingredients, they will have to label it. If they are
> uncertain, they will have to label it to say that it may
> contain genetically modified material.
>
> One slight catch - they also asked for ANZFA to come up
> with a definition of G-E food that takes account that some
> foods are made from genetically modified plants but are not
> themselves genetically modified. As I read it, that could
> go either way, so we shall have to keep a watch on it.
>
> But overall, a good result compared with the original
> proposal which would have meant virtually no labelling.
>
> No mention however, about the assessment protocols for
> approval of G-E foods which appear to be woefully
> inadequate. So we shall have to keep up pressure on that,
> firstly by totally damning Monsanto's applications.
> Comments are due in by next Wednesday 23rd, but Sue Kedgely
> in NZ has been granted an extension until the end of
> January. If you do want an extension, it would be best to
> let them know before next Wednesday.
>
> Once again, well done everybody!
>
> Cheers
>
> Dick
>
> Dick Copeman
> Consumer Food Network
> 223 Logan Road, Buranda QLD 4102
> Ph 07 3217 3187, Fax 07 3217 3028
> "Dick Copeman" <eco-cons@bit.net.au>
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> NZ Farm News Commentary
>
> Genetically modified foods that are substantially equivalent to the original
> product will have to be labelled in New Zealand.
> This was the decision of the Australia New Zealand Food Council after a
> six-four vote in Australia on Thursday.
> Associate Health Minister Tuariki John Delamere said he would discuss the
> decision with cabinet colleagues on his return to New Zealand.
> "New Zealand has real doubts about the practical feasibility of the standard
> and how it will be viewed by our trading partners but we accept the results
> of a democratic vote.
> "We also acknowledge that many New Zealanders will be pleased with this
> decision," Mr Delamere said.
> The council also adopted three new requirements for GM foods.
> They are:
> If a manufacturer knows a product contains GM material it must be labelled
> accordingly.
> If the manufacturer is uncertain about whether it contains GM material it
> must be labelled "may contain genetically modified material"
> If the manufacturer knows the product is free of GM food there will be no
> requirement to label the product.
> Mr Delamere had opposed the adoption of the new standard because of serious
> reservations about the workability of mandatory labelling.
> New Zealand has serious concerns that this new food standard could act as a
> technical barrier to trade and thus be subject to challenge before the World
> Trade Organisation, he said.
>
> (Written by Joanne Marshall)
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
> distributed without profit to those who expressed a prior interest in
> receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
>
> Bob Phelps
> Director
> Australian GeneEthics Network
> c/- ACF 340 Gore Street, Fitzroy. 3065 Australia
> Tel: (03) 9416.2222 Fax: (03) 9416.0767 {Int Code (613)}
> email: acfgenet@peg.apc.org
> WWW: http://www.zero.com.au/agen
>
> "Non-cooperation with injustice is a sacred duty."
>
> Mahatma Gandhi
>
> "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good
> people to do nothing"
>
> Edmund Burke
>
> "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.
> When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
>
> Dom Helder Camera
>
> "Knowing is not enough, you must also act"
>
> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
--
PACIFIC EDGE PERMACULTURE
Russ Grayson and Fiona Campbell
PO Box 446, Kogarah NSW 2217 AUSTRALIA
Permaculture education, publishing, design.
NSW contact, Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.
APACE Kastom Garden Program, (village agriculture), South Pacific.
PaD (Permaculture and Development) Project .
Re: GE Foods will be labelled in Australia and NZ,
Fiona Campbell + Russ Grayson, 12/17/1998