Page 65 - Trade and Food Standards

Low-level presence of genetically modified organisms
An increasing number of countries is engaged in the production of genetically modified (GM) crops, which are expanding in variety and in turn proliferating the opportunities for the inadvertent mixing of GM with non-GM commodities. At the same time, technological advances are providing more powerful tools for detecting the presence of GM materials. This phenomenon is of particular significance to the grain trade, which encounters major problems when even trace levels of GM material that is not approved by the importing country are found within a consignment. Such detection can result in the detention and refusal of the consignment. Trace amounts of GM material, that has been approved in accordance with Codex Guidelines in at least one country, are referred to as low-level presence (LLP). Many countries and trade associations are highly concerned with the market disruption and the economic consequences of detentions and rejections due to LLP.
The underlying issue is that trading partners may have different rules regarding the acceptability of a particular GM event. In 2003, the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants, which countries are called upon to apply in making decisions on the safety of
particular GM events. Frequently, not all countries take the same decisions on a given GM event. Different rules apply to the acceptability of the same GM event in different countries, which can lead to inefficiency, unpredictability and ultimately costly disruptions to trade.
Increased opportunities for the admixing of GM with non- GM commodities along with the increased accessibility of tools for detecting GM events could lead to more frequent instances of LLP. Countries need to be more aware of the issue and better prepared to deal efficiently with the management of LLP situations. Annex 3 of the Codex Guidelines contains provisions in this regard. The principal approach of the Annex is a combination of a simplified food safety assessment for cases of LLP and mechanisms for sharing data and information to enable rapid risk-based decision making. FAO maintains a database to facilitate such information sharing, but greater commitment from more countries to share such information is needed. Greater investment is supporting countries to develop the capacities to understand the safety assessments, thereby empowering them to make sound and transparent decisions on LLP risk management at the national level and to engage more effectively in relevant international discussions.
Nevertheless, in light of benefits, paperless trade in the agriculture sector is likely to grow in importance in the near future and effective national preparation, and engagement at the international level, is imperative to take advantage of such systems.
Increased trade, especially in value-added commodities together with fluctuations in production create opportunities for food fraud, another longstanding challenge for regulators.
Efforts to fight food fraud may be reshaped by scientific and technological progress. Food fraud undermines trust in food, regulators and markets. Trust in the food supply chain is one of the most important paradigms that we all, as consumers, rely on for making informed food choices. Consumers must be able to trust that labels correctly reflect the composition of the food: they are the primary source of information on nutritional value and the major tool available to
match preferences against food composition. New techniques to safeguard food authenticity, together with information sharing, can help regulators combat food fraud and resulting loss of confidence in the food chain.
Changing food-consumption patterns and lifestyle choices are also drivers of change in an interconnected world. Consumers are increasingly demanding information about their food to make informed consumption choices, while diets and preferences are changing. At the same time, there is global awareness of the need to address obesity and other diet-related non- communicable diseases (NCDs) through comprehensive solutions encompassing a range of policy measures. Governments need to be prepared to address nutrition concerns within their national food policy contexts, and engage internationally. As the example on nutrition labelling and trade shows (see page 55), engagement by members at the international
Part 3. A dynamic system 53