Anti-GMO activists claim Canada allowing import of potentially dangerous GM foods

After three years of discussions, Canada is close to finalizing its new policy on genetically modified (GM) foods that would allow very low levels of contaminated crops into the country—without a risk assessment by Health Canada.

Under existing rules, Canada has a zero tolerance for GM foods that are unapproved by Health Canada. The exception was created to facilitate trade, the Department of Agriculture said in an email statement to the Epoch Times.

“The government has been taking action to seek global solutions to prevent unnecessary trade disruptions, ensure open and predictable trade that is based on science, and make the agriculture sector more competitive,” the statement said.

“With the increased commercialization of GM crops around the world, low-level presence incidents are expected to become more frequent. That is why Canada has exercised leadership advocating for ways to manage low-level presence in a pragmatic and transparent way.”

The term “low-level presence” means any unintended low levels of GM crops that are authorized for commercial use or sale in one country, but not yet authorized in Canada. The level has been set at 0.2 percent for imports below which a risk assessment will not be required.

The new policy has been condemned by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), long an opponent of GMOs and one of the groups involved in the consultations. The group says that in the interests of safety, there should be a risk assessment by Health Canada.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Canada to Allow Unapproved GM Crop Contamination in Imports

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