Foods made from Genetically Modified Plants

HL Deb 01 March 1995 vol 561 cc100-1WA

Lord Gallacher

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the three foods made from genetically modified plants cleared for sale in Britain should not be required to be labelled as such as a condition of approval at least until such time as the crops concerned are grown in this country.

Earl Howe

The Government have accepted the advice of the Food Advisory Committee (FAC) that it would not be appropriate to lay down a compulsory labelling requirement as a condition of approving the three new foodstuffs made from genetically modified plants. The modifications do not involve genes that could be considered ethically sensitive according to the FAC's guidelines and no inserted genes or gene products remain present in the food product after processing. The FAC did, however, encourage the use of informative labelling on a voluntary basis in response to public interest.