ENGLISH NAVIGATION MENU
US approves new GM labeling law
US President Barack Obama on July 30 passed a law that sets the rules for the labeling of transgenics in the country. The goal is to provide consumers with more information about the foods they consume. According to the new regulation, labels can provide information on the genetically modified (GM) ingredient in three ways: with text, a symbol to be defined or by means of a digital code, a QR code, for example, that Be scanned by a smartphone, you would access additional information about the product.
According to biologist and executive director of the Biotechnology Information Council (CIB), Adriana
Brondani, the new law addresses an issue that could hamper food trade within the United States and raise the cost of these products. "The law is valid for all US territory and therefore harmonizes the regulatory process and prevents each state from having different legislation on the subject," he says. The director also points out that the issues surrounding the labeling of transgenics are not related to the biosafety of these products, but to the right to information.
Unlike the USA, Brazil already has a mandatory labeling rule, governed by a decree, since 2003. It has determined the creation and use of a symbol (yellow triangle with a black T in the center) that should be stamped on products containing Transgenic ingredients. In addition, it requires that the donor species of the gene be included on the label. According to Adriana, the approval of the American law can stimulate the revision of ours, that is more than 10 years and must be improved. "In Brazil, the most reasonable way is to modernize and update the current rules, making communication on the label simpler, more straightforward and easier to understand." According to the biologist, there is already a proposal for this purpose under discussion in the Senate.