Position Paper
POSITION ON AMENDMENT TO THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELING OF
PREPACKAGED FOODS: SECTION 2.0 (DEFINITIONS)
July, 2001
At its recently concluded 29th Session, the Codex Committee on
Food Labeling witnessed an effort by some countries to redefine
"modern biotechnology," proposing to replace it with the
descriptor "foods obtained through certain techniques of genetic
modification/genetic engineering.”
The International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations
(ICGMA) believes this language is inconsistent with the work of
the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Biotechnology and would
set back the effort to create a scientifically supportable and appropriate
definition. The Codex Commission established the Task Force to specifically
address issues within Codex on matters pertaining to biotechnology
including how biotechnology is defined. The Task Force provides
a very precise definition of modern biotechnology that is consistent
with the definition used in the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol under
the Convention on Biological Diversity that these same countries,
which are attempting to redefine the term, adopted last year.
The term “genetic modification” is inaccurate to use
because it technically applies to all forms of genetic manipulation
including traditional breeding and selection. The objective of the
redefinition effort is not the furtherance of science-based labeling,
designed to protect the health and safety of consumers, but rather
the advancement of inaccurate terminology designed to cast biotechnology
in a pejorative light.
Additionally, advancing definitions for labeling of foods obtained
through modern biotechnology in advance of an actual guideline or
standard is procedurally inconsistent.
The Committee should undertake to address these issues in a manner
consistent with the principles of sound scientific inquiry, and
commits itself to the creation of labeling guidelines that reflect
accurate use of nomenclature. To do otherwise would result in inconsistency
and confusion. Additionally, advancing a scientifically inaccurate
definition will set the precedence in Codex that standards and definitions
need not be based on sound science.
The International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations
is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) officially
recognized by the Codex Alimentarius. ICGMA represents the interests
of national and regional associations representing all sectors of
the grocery industry and serves to facilitate harmonization of standards
and policies concerned with health, safety, packaging, labeling,
advertising and marketing of foods, beverages and other grocery
products.
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