-Caveat Lector- WTO concessions ? Dave Hartley http://www.Asheville-Computer.com http://www.ioa.com/~davehart ========================== Friday September 17 7:19 PM ET Britain To Label Gene-Modified Food LONDON (AP) - British food establishments, from restaurants and pubs to caterers, will have to tell customers which of their dishes contain genetically modified ingredients under a new law that goes into effect Sunday. The use of genetically modified, or GM, ingredients in foods is being hotly debated in Britain. Polls indicate many people strongly disapprove, while many want at least further research to be conducted. GM foods are made from plants whose genes are manipulated in order to produce characteristics such as resistance to pests. Britain has yet to approve raising GM crops, but some imported ingredients do contain GM plants. Food Minister Baroness Hayman said on Friday that the new labeling requirements, like those that have applied to food sold at retail since September 1998, "will ensure that consumers are entitled to the same information when eating out as they expect when buying their own food in shops." Failure to comply with the new law can be punished by fines of up to $8,000. "The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are able to make an informed choice about the food they eat," she said. ============== Canada to develop GM food voluntary label standard WINNIPEG, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The group which represents most of Canada's major food sellers will take part in a project to develop a Canadian standard for voluntary labeling of biotechnology foods, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. "The Government of Canada believes in the right of consumers to have access to information as it relates to biotechnology and food," Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief said in a statement. The ministry will support the project, launched by the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB). Environmental and consumer groups in Canada, following the lead of similar organizations in Europe, have started demanding that foods made with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) be labeled . The CCGD represents 80 percent of major food retailers in Canada, a major world agricultural producer. The CGSB is an accredited standards development organization within the federal government. "Consistent codes of practices for voluntary labeling of foods derived from biotechnology will give consumers information to make choices," Vanclief said. The Canadian government has refused to enforce mandatory labeling of GM foods, following a policy favoured in the United States. =================== Friday September 24, 1:49 pm Eastern Time U.S. plans labels on genetically modified foods By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - U.S. government agencies have agreed to develop a labeling plan for food products made from genetically modified crops, a key demand of the biotech-wary European market, an industry consultant said on Friday. Consultant Charles Benbrook said the decision was made earlier this week at a meeting between officials of the U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. "Things will move slowly, as they always do. But there definitely was a major breakthrough," Benbrook, a consultant for Consumers Union and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, told reporters. But Isi Siddiqui, a trade adviser to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, told Reuters he had no knowledge of the agreement. The Food and Drug Administration, which has jurisdiction over labeling issues, has resisted putting labels on food products containing genetically modified ingredients, such as new corn and soybeans varieties that U.S. farmers have planted in increasing numbers since 1996. The FDA has argued labeling is unwarranted because genetically modified crops are not materially different from traditional varieties. Benbrook said he learned from Agriculture Department officials that the United States hopes to develop a labeling proposal in time for an important meeting of the World Trade Organization, the global trade body, in Seattle in November. Genetically modified crops are expected to be a major issue in the next round of world trade negotiations that begin with the Seattle meeting, spurred by consumer demands in the European Union and other countries. Benbrook said the United States was rushing to try to develop a labeling proposal to take to Seattle. The United State risks walking into a "bee's nest" at that meeting because it is nearly alone in its opposition to labeling, he said. "Apparently, USDA has convinced the White House that the government has to move forward on this front," Benbrook said. ================================= DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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