§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when, and on what terms, EU marketing consent was given for honey containing genetically modified pollen. [121699]
§ Ms StuartThe European Commission, in response to questions from the European Parliament, has advised that honey containing trace amounts of pollen from genetically modified crops is not classified as a novel food, and may therefore be lawfully sold throughout the Community. Work carried out by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, a report of which is available in the Library, indicates that the amount of genetically modified material in honey is likely to be extremely small, at most no more than 0.00000000003g to 0.000000005g in a 500g jar.
All GM crops intended for deliberate release in this country, and in the rest of the European Community, have to be thoroughly assessed for human and environmental safety before they are allowed to be planted. This assessment includes safety implications of any exposure to pollen through ingestion or inhalation from the air, or as a result of it landing on other crops.