Polish activists demand GMO labels on food products

The goal of the initiative is to introduce uniform and legible labelling of foodstuffs free of genetically engineered components.

As the mastermind behind the campaign Marlena Zacharek argues, such a step would allow consumers to make conscious, informed decisions on what they eat.

“GMO-free tags denote that genetic modification has not been applied at any stage of the production process,” says Dorota Metera, member of the GMO Committee at the Polish Environment Ministry. The labeling would include both animal feed for livestock and enzymes or vitamins used in food processing, she adds. In the EU, 60 percent of animal feed is imported, mostly from countries cultivating GM crops.

As the labeling advocates at the Civil Affairs Institute underline, the campaign deliberately coincides with the ongoing parliamentary campaign so as to influence contenders who are more prone to take heed of the electorate’s needs ahead of the ballot.

Last week, Poland officially opted out of genetically modified crop cultivation, a right granted to all EU member states earlier this year. (aba/rk)

Source: IAR