§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the lifting of the EU ban on biotech foods, and the move to replace the ban with rules for clear labelling of all genetically modified products. [124820]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThere is no ban in the European Union on foods developed using biotechnology. Measures have been in place for a number of years to permit the placing of such foods on the market subject to rigorous safety assessment procedures and appropriate labelling.
Agreement to further EU measures tightening up the legal requirements for the approval and labelling of genetically modified food and feed and for the traceability of genetically modified organisms is likely to be reached by September.