GE foods will not be labeled in supermarkets, despite promises to allow consumer choice and the public have been hoodwinked.

Ministers and government MPs have told the public that new regulations for gene technology will allow consumers’ the right to choose by keeping labelling of GMO food sold in supermarkets.

On 21st February, Farmers Weekly reported that GE Foods will be labelled in supermarkets, just as the government had promised before the election in the National Party manifesto.[1]

But on March 10th this was retracted after the publishers were contacted by Food Authorities to say GE foods will be exempted from labelling under proposals P1055.

"Farmers Weekly reported that they got it wrong too and had been told by FSANZ that GE food will not be labelled in supermarkets.[2]

"This is a broken promise to the public. People demand the right to choose and want products from gene editing to be labelled,” said Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE-Free New Zealand (in Food and Environment).

The magazine also announced that FSANZ propose increasing the levels of glyphosate (Roundup’s active ingredient) allowed in food.

"People have been hoodwinked. They want the right to choose to avoid GE products and don’t want increased levels of chemical residue in food.

Authorities want to increase residue of Glyphosate allowed in food, saying it is still safe, even when in the US Billions is paid out in compensation by Monsanto-Bayer. [3]

Farmers are also calling the government not to take away the right to choose.

A survey of farmers shows that 74% do not agree with claimed benefits for them of deregulated gene technology. [4]

References:

[1] https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/gmo-products-will-be-labelled-in-supermarkets/

[2] https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/council-seeks-to-refine-gm-labelling-in-supermarkets/

[3] https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/nz-food-safety-considers-pushing-up-max-glyphosate-residue-levels/

[4] https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/weekly-poll-results/gene-tech-access-poll-results-march-13/

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