New laws for GM food imports

From May 1, a new regulation will prohibit all imports of raw and processed food, subject to any type of genetic modification in Sri Lanka.

The Food Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health in an Extraordinary Gazette lays out the rule that will govern food imports in the future.

Whilebanning any type of GM food or preservative or additive in imported food, the gazette schedules certain categories which can be imported with licence.

FromMay, 1 food importers of any type of soya product, tomatoes, potato product, bakers and brewers yeast, cheese, beet sugar, corn or maize and any productcontainer either will have to first obtain a valid authorisation from the exporting country's government health authority.

The certification should clearlyguarantee that the food contains no genetically modified ingredients.

"The ban will continue until the ongoing debate over the safety of GM food is resolved in the west," said Director General of Health Services, Dr. A. M. L.Beligaswatte.

According to the Chief Food and Drugs Inspector, S. Nagiah not only the foods but importation of genetically modified materials, organisms and foodadditives are banned under the new regulations added to the Food Act No. 26 of 1980 and the amended Food Act No. 20 of 1991.

"This ban will apply tofoods that have one or more ingredients, additive or preservative that are genetically modified.

According to new regulations no one can import, distribute,transport, store, or sell any food, raw or processed or any ingredient of food or additive which are genetically modified", S. Nagiah stated.

Any food listed below cannot be imported without a laboratory certificate certifying that they are not genetically modified: Soya beans whole, soya flour, defatted soya flour, soya nuggets/textured vegetable proteins (TVP), soya milk, soya sauce, other products that contain soyabean derivatives as one of their ingredients, corn/maize, corn flour/maize flour, other products containing corn, tomato-fresh, tomato puree, tomato paste,tomato ketchup, tomato sauce, other tomato based products, cheese, potatoes and other products containing potatoes, bakers yeast and brewers yeast, beetsugar and microbiological starter cultures.

According to Ministry officials, should importers bring in foods which contain genetically modified organisms without following the new regulations, they will have to re-export their food consignments at their expense.

Source: Sri Lanka Sunday Observer