CATEGORY ： Global Geography 12 Essay: A non-necessity of mandatory labeling of all genetically modified food products in Canada 2007/04/08 Sun TB ： CM ： 0 △

A non-necessity of mandatory labeling of all genetically modified food products in Canada

 

   In Canada, Health Canada is responsible for establishing standards and policies governing the safety and nutritional quality of foods sold. Although it is not mandatory to identify the method of production, including genetic modification that was used to develop a food product, the mechanism by which Health Canada controls the sale of novel foods include GM foods is a mandatory premarket notification procedure. Companies are required to submit detailed scientific data for review and approval by Health Canada, before such foods can be sold. In other words, all foods products that we eat everyday had passed their examination.

"Full disclosure of food ingredients is what consumers want so that they can make informed decisions," - Peggy Kirkeby, the Vice President of Issues and Policy of the Consumers' Association.

Some people say that it is very important to let consumers know whether it is genetically modified or not so that they can make right choice for their health. However, as you can see it in your daily life, most of us do not pay attention to what we are eating. Also, most people do not have enough knowledge to make proper choice. For example, labeling of the amount of trans fat in the nutrition facts has became mandatory since December 2005. However, Canada is still being one of the largest consumers of trans fats in the world. You may find a shortening container in many houses' refrigerator although this shortening is 100 per cent trans fat content product. Labeling does not make people aware of the true issues which they should concern. Quality of professionals' inspections and decisions must be higher than ordinary consumers. Also, there are many way such as calling customer services and ask them whether their products contain GM foods or not if they truly want. Therefore, mandatory labeling of all GM foods products in order to let consumers know so that they can make right choice is unnecessary.

"None of the genetically modified foods on supermarket shelves have ever undergone long-term testing. So nobody knows whether they're safe or not.” -Bradford Duplisea, Canadian Health Coalition.

   As Ms. Duplisea says, there is concern for unknown problem which GM foods may cause. However, this sort of opinion always comes out when new products are presented to market. GM products have many benefits such as enhanced taste and quality, reduced maturation time, increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance, improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides, new products and growing techniques, friendly bioherbicides and bioinsecticides, conservation of soil, water, and energy, bioprocessing for forestry products, batter natural waste management, more efficient processing, increased food security for growing populations, and more. Some of these benefits can be a solution of present issues that required some action as soon as possible. People suffering from food security may be able to live better by getting such benefits. "It's about the single most worst thing that could happen quite frankly, if it passes in its current form," John Wilkinson, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture Wilkinson, from Canada's largest farmer lobby group says that it has warned of huge losses for their industry if labeling of GM foods became mandatory. It can surely slow down their procedure that may result in worse situation for such people in need. So mandatory is not the right solution for this issue.

   Some estimates report 30000 plus different products in grocery stores have been genetically modifies.

"It all sounds so wonderfully simple, 'oh, let's label everything.' But most people believe that genetically modified products are in the fruit and vegetable aisle. They're not. They're not single-ingredient products. Most of them are showing up in your cereals, your flours, your cake mixes, your pancake mixes…So labelling is not simple," - Jenny Hillard, vice-president of the Consumers' Association of Canada

This seems nearly impossible to be done. Also, CFIA officials say it is hard to enforce because of complicated growing processes in Canada. Cabinet preferred committee option. Since voluntary method of production labeling is permitted, there are some companies which labels their product. For example, East Coast potato company labels a bag “derived from plant biotechnology”. Not having mandatory does not mean not having any labeling. Giving them choice as they have one for other things must be permitted in democratic country like Canada. Labeling for all products does not have to be mandate.

   Mandatory labeling of all GM is a non-necessity. Although it is not mandatory to identify the method of production, the mechanism by which Health Canada controls the sale of novel foods include GM foods is a mandatory premarket notification procedure. GM foods can solve many problem we have now. Although it is hard to enforce because of complicated growing processes in Canada, cost of labeling, and many other reasons, some companies use voluntary method of production labeling and label their GM foods products. Mandatory labeling of all genetically modified food products is unnecessary for Canada.

CBC News. “MPs vote down mandatory labels for GM foods.” Wednesday, October 17, 2001. Online. Thursday, January 04, 2007. <http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2001/10/17/gmfood_labels011017.html#skip300x250>

Consumers' Association of Canada. Consumers Want Mandatory Labelling of Genetically Modified Foods. Ottawa: National Office, 2003.

Health Canada. “Genetically Modified (GM) Foods & Other Novel Foods.” 2006-09-26. Online. 2007-1-4. <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/index_e.html>

Nunn, Jim, and Tanya Arnoti. “Consumers' Association stance on GM food raises eyebrows” Mar 6, 2002. Online. Thursday, January 04, 2007. <http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/cac_gmo/>

The Genome Management Information System. “Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms” Wednesday, September 06, 2006. Online. Thursday, January 04, 2007. <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml>

Works Cited

   Canada does not have to have mandatory labeling of all genetically modified food products. Genetically Modified Foods, also known as GM foods, genetically engineered foods or biotechnology-derived foods, are any food product that is either itself genetically modified or contains any genetically modified organisms in its ingredients. Some say that counties should have mandatory labeling of all GM foods products. They say people must know wheather it is genetically manipulated or not in order to make the right choice. They also criticize a possible risk of health issue caused by foods resulting from a process not previously used for food. However, there is no need for Canada to have mandatory labeling. Professionals know more than ordinary consumers. It is important to consider long-term effects, but in reality, we cannot put label on everything we touch and short-term effects are as important as long-term effects. Technically also ethically, mandatory labeling of all GM Foods is unnecessary.