Genetically-modified food: The public demands the truth

by Peter Mac

Following calls for the identification of all food containing genetically-
modified material, Australian and New Zealand Health Ministers meeting in 
Canberra last week procrastinated, equivocated and finally compromised on 
the issue of the labelling of such products. They have now agreed to 
identify only foods containing a certain "threshold level" of genetically 
modified material.

There are some good arguments for the genetic modification of certain 
crops. For example, genetically modified cotton offers the promise of much 
better yields, with high resistance to viruses and natural predators, 
thereby reducing the need for insecticides.

However, the genetic modification of food crops is particularly 
controversial, because the resultant products are directly ingested. The 
process therefore has direct implications for public health.

Post-war history has innumerable examples of private industry taking 
commercially preferable decisions at the expense of public health and 
welfare.

It is therefore not surprising that the public is extremely wary of the 
genetic modification of foods to enhance the profits of the agribusiness 
firms.

One recent survey indicated that some 93 percent of respondents want 
genetically modified food to be clearly identified. As the Australian 
Consumers' Association's Matt O'Neil noted, consumers simply "want to know 
if the product is or isn't genetically modified".

Some are concerned about the unknown environmental impact of genetically 
modified products.

The response to the survey indicates clearly that any product identified as 
genetically modified would suffer significant — and possibly catastrophic 
— reductions in sales.

Not surprisingly, food manufacturers represented by the Australian Food and 
Grocery Manufacturers' Council have opposed the labelling, calling instead 
for a voluntary code of conduct.

They claim that genetically modified food is no different from normal food.

However, the clear identification of such products is not the only issue 
involved for consumers. The implications of ingesting genetically-modified 
food products are not nearly so clear.

As yet there appears to have been very little scientific research into the 
results of the consumption of genetically modified food products.

The current calls for a clear choice regarding the identification and 
purchase of genetically modified food is just the beginning.

The real issue at stake is the right to make an informed decision regarding 
the consumption of such products, based not just on the awareness of what 
has or has not been genetically modified, but on the likely outcome of 
consuming such products as indicated by scientific research.

However, whatever the outcome of that research, the outcry over the sale of 
unidentified genetically modified food constitutes a further example of the 
struggle of ordinary people to ensure that what's on offer on the 
supermarket shelves is actually safe for human consumption.