July 8, 2008
 

UK to review GM rules as non-GM feed sources shrink

The UK's Food Standards Agency is to review how it regulates the marketing and labeling of GM produce after a government paper on food policy Monday highlighted the difficulties of sourcing non-GM animal feed.

The paper further said the UK risked importing feed wrongly labeled as non-GM if prices kept rising, the Financial Times reported on its Web site Tuesday (July 8, 2008).

Farmers are struggling to meet supermarket requirements to feed animals non-GM grains, as prices remain near record highs, said the report.

The FSA said it would work with the environment department to examine how market changes were straining the regulatory system for GM products. Food sold in the UK containing products of GM organisms must be labeled, but meat, milk and eggs from animals given GM feed are not subject to such a requirement, according to the report.

The government has long lobbied the EU to improve the regulatory regime for GM products and wants decisions on the import of GM foodstocks to be quicker, the report said.