National Forum Provides Information on GM Food ...
COMTEX Newswire
TORONTO, Nov 09, 2000 (CNW via COMTEX) -- More than 100 participants from the
agri-food and nutrition communities gathered at the University of Guelph
yesterday to listen to a panel of experts and discuss the various factors that
must be considered as Canada develops national standards for the voluntary
labelling of foods obtained or not obtained through genetic modification.
The information forum, hosted jointly by the Canadian Food Information Council
(CFIC) and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), attracted participants
from the food industry, including farmers, agribusiness groups, and food
manufacturers, as well as representatives from government, academia,
consumer-based organizations and the health professions. "There are many
complexities involved in developing a sound basis for providing information to
consumers through product labelling," said Anne Kennedy, President of NIN. "This
forum played an important role both in providing information and in giving
various stakeholder groups the opportunity to share different perspectives."
To provide context for participants, the day-long session began with an
examination of a number of national research studies focused on consumer
awareness and attitudes regarding the use of biotechnology in food production.
"The research studies show that Canadians are not well-informed about the
science behind modern food production," said Phyllis Tanaka, Executive Director
of CFIC. "While Canadians are receptive to learning more about these foods, the
way in which that information is imparted is critical. Consumers need
information that is balanced and that addresses their concerns."
While the national surveys universally indicated that consumers are interested
in becoming better informed about the genetic modification of food, analysts
suggested that the issue is not always "top of mind" for Canadian consumers.
Other issues, including the fat content of food, food safety and pesticide use
in food production all ranked higher on lists of consumer concerns.
Canada's regulatory system requires the labelling of all foods, including those
that are genetically modified, for specific health and safety factors. Dr. Alan
McHughen, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Saskatchewan and author
of the recently published Pandora's Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of
Genetically Modified Foods, led forum participants through a review of the
challenges involved in labelling foods for reasons not connected with health and
safety. Included in his discussion were the challenges surrounding an
appropriate definition of genetic modification, the limitations associated with
current verification methods, and the need for appropriate tolerance and
threshold levels.
Also included in the day's discussions were examinations of the economic and
international trade implications associated with labelling.
The following speakers may be contacted for further information:
Judy Sheeshka, PhD, RD
Associate Professor,
Dept. of Family Relations and
Applied Nutrition
University of Guelph
519 824 4120 x4479
jsheeshk(at)uoguelph.ca
Karen Finlay, PhD
Associate Professor,
Dept. of Consumer Studies and
Acting Director,
Consumer Research Centre
University of Guelph
519 824 4120
kfinlay(at)uoguelph.ca
Gord Surgeoner, PhD
President,
Ontario Agri-Food Technologies
Guelph, Ontario
519 826 4195
oaft(at)sentex.net
Alan McHughen, Dphil, Cbiol, MIBiol
Professor and Senior Research Scientist
University of Saskatchewan
306 966 4975
mchughen(at)duke.usask.ca
Lynne Lesage
Health Canada
613 941-8189
Mark van Dusen
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
613 228 6682
CONTACT: For further information: Anne Kennedy, National Institute of Nutrition,
Phone: (613) 235-3355, E-mail: akennedy(at)nin.ca, Website: www.nin.ca
;
Phyllis Tanaka, Canadian Food Information Council, Phone: (416) 640-2723,
E-mail: ptanaka(at)cfic.ca, Website: www.cfic.ca
News release via Canada NewsWire, Toronto 416-863-9350 -ME-
Copyright (C) 2000 CNW, All rights reserved
-0-
KEYWORD: TORONTO
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FOD
Copyright 2000