§ Lord Hardy of Wathasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what date approval was given for the sale of genetically modified food; and whether requests for clear labelling of such food were rejected. [HL1192]
§ Lord DonoughueThe GM foods and food ingredients currently on sale in the UK were approved on the following dates:
- GM tomato purée February 1995
- GM soya ingredients February 1995
- GM maize ingredients May 1996
The tomato paste has been clearly labelled by the manufacturer since its market launch in February 1996.
An EC regulation requiring all foods containing GM soya or maize ingredients to be clearly labelled took effect on 1 September 1998. Prior to this the labelling of these foods was voluntary but the Government made clear their intention, soon after coming into office, of pressing for EC legislation to make such labelling compulsory.