RESTAURANTS and fast food outlets will be forced to declare any foods that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients in a recommendation made by a national review of food labelling, the Opposition’s agriculture spokesman Mick Murray said on Friday.
But Agriculture Minister Terry Redman said current labelling laws were adequate.
Mr Murray said the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy had recommended all food and ingredients that had been genetically modified be labelled, including food sold at chain food service outlets and in vending machines.
“Clear labelling will give consumers the right to choose between GM and non-GM products,” he said.
“Consumers will welcome the recommendation to have restaurants, food chains and vending machines declare on menus or food displays if food has been genetically modified.
“The Barnett Government made the decision to introduce GM canola crops, against massive community outcry, and now Agriculture Minister Terry Redman must give consumers choice at the checkout by supporting the recommendations of the food labelling review.”
Mr Murray said the minister should support moves to give consumers choice.
“Mr Redman has been incredibly arrogant about his GM crop trial, only looking after the interests of GM crop farmers,” he said. “It is time the minister started thinking about the entire agriculture industry for which he is responsible, not just those farmers who support his ill-considered GM crop experiment.”
Mr Murray made a submission to the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy calling for an easily distinguishing label or logo to indicate GM derived foods, no matter how small the percentage of the overall component.
He also called for meat and poultry that were fed GM grains, seeds and fodder to be labelled, as well as cooking oils.
Mr Redman said the federal government’s present Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) standard already required GM foods and ingredients (including food additives and processing aids from GM sources) to labelled with the words “genetically modified” if novel DNA and/or protein from an approved GM variety was present in the final food.
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