Email: info@natural-law-party.org.uk
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Please also note the info in the following paragraph on the document for Agenda 8 of the Codex meeting.
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RE: Codex meeting campaign.
The lobbying of UN Codex re the compulsory labelling
of genetically engineered foods is crucial. Please read the attached and
email, fax or write to the UK representative for Codex (see address below).
The biotech companies are lobbying strongly for no labelling. If they succeed
all countries will be bound by their ruling. It is very important that
as many people as possible express the necessity for compulsory labelling
to their Codex representative. Please fax, send or email this message from
John Fagan to as many friends and colleagues as you can encouraging them
to act on this urgent matter.
There is a document "Recommendations for
the labelling of food obtained through biotechnology" relating to
Agenda 8 for the Codex meeting. A response is being prepared to this which
is more complete. However, you may wish to prepare your own response from
yourself or your organisation by requesting this document from the UK Codex
representative below. See the fax number for Miss Denise Love below re
the UK and ask her to fax the document to you as it may not be possible
to mail it to you in time for a response.
HERE IS A MESSAGE FROM JOHN FAGAN THAT WE ARE
SENDING OUT ON THE INTERNET. WE ARE ASKING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO
SEND MESSAGES TO THEIR UN CODEX REPRESENTATIVE ASKING FOR MANDATORY LABELLING
OF GENETIC ENGINEERING FOODS.
.............................................................
UN Codex Committee Meets in Ottawa to Decide Labelling
of Genetically Engineered Foods
>From April 14-18, 1997, the UN Codex Committee
on Food Labelling (CCFL) meets in Ottawa. Under the strong influence of
the food industry, this Committee makes regulations concerning what foods
are allowed on the international market, and the labelling of these foods.
This meeting in Ottawa is critical to the entire
world's food supply.Regulations are being considered that would allow thousands
of genetically engineered (GE) products to flood the world market. The
biotech industry is lobbying Codex to pass internationally binding legislation
allowing these experimental foods in every country, without labelling or
extensive testing, and mixed in with other foods.
What We Can Do:
Input from you and others in your country to your
representatives at the Codex meeting could be critical in creating a favourable
outcome on this issue. Please send them a letter, fax, or email stating
your concerns, and please organise for as many people in your country to
send letters, as well.
Finding your Codex representative:
** TUK UK CODEX REPRESENTATIVE:
Miss Denise Love
Room 312
Food Labelling and Standards Division
M. A. F. F.
Ergon House c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Fax 0171 238 6763
In your letter to your Codex representative, you
can emphasize MANDATORY LABELLlNG OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS and FOOD
INGREDIENTS as the central concern. The more people that send comments,
the better.
Ideally you should also write to Douglas Hogg,
the Minister of Agriculture and mention in each letter that you have written
to the other.
THE ADDRESS FOR DOUGLAS HOGG IS:
The Right Honourable Douglas Hogg
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
3 - 8 Whitehall Place, West Block
London SW1A 2HH
** In Canada, concerns can be sent to the Head
of the Canadian Delegation: Mr. Gerry Reasbeck, Director, Food Division,
Food Inspection Directorate, 59 Camelot Court, Nepean, ON K1A 0Y9 Ph: 952-8000/
Fax: 952-7387/ e-mail: greasbeck@em.agr.ca@inet
** In USA, concerns can be directed to Ms. Rhonda Bond and/or Mr. Patrick Clerkin, Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Codex Alimentarius, U.S. Department of Agriculture Room 311, West End Court, Washington , D.C., 20250-3700. Tel: 202-418-8841 Fax: 202-418-8865 e-mail: uscodex@aol.com
A copy of concerns can be sent to Mr. Thomas J.
Billy, A/U.S. Coordinator for the Codex Alimentarius, U.S. Dept of Agriculture,
Room 331-E, Administration,14th and Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington,
D.C. 20250-3700 Tel: 202-770-7025 Fax: 202-690-4437.
** For all other countries, you can simply look up the your Codex representative on the web site:
HTTP://WWW.FAO.ORG./WAICENT/NUTRITIO.HTM
Once on this web site, choose the topic: - About
Codex Alimentarius. Under this topic, choose the subheading: - List of
Codex Contact Points. There you will find the name, address, phone, and
fax number for your Codex representatives. If you call them, they can should
be able to give you their email address.
In your letter to your Codex representative, you
can emphasize MANDATORY LABELLING OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS as the
central concern. The more people that send comments, the better.
In addition, here are some other points that you
may wish to also include in your letter/fax:
€ Labelling of genetically engineered foods is primarily a safety issue.
€ Inherent in the process of genetic engineering is the risk of altering the genetics and cellular functioning of a food organism in unanticipated ways.
€ These unanticipated alterations can lead to alterations in the quality of the food itself. Specifically, these alterations can result in genetically engineered foods being allergenic, toxic, or reduced in nutritional value.
€ Currently many nations do not even have laws governing testing the safety of genetically engineered food. In those countries that do have such law, the testing protocols specified are inadequate to detect all possible allergens, toxins, and alterations in nutritional value that could be caused by genetic engineering of foods.
€ Although every genetically engineered food will not be grossly toxic, allergenic, or reduced in nutritional value, some of them will, and because of the loopholes in procedures for assessing the safety of genetically engineered foods, there is the risk that some harmful genetically engineered foods will reach the market undetected. Thus, at present there is health risk associated with every genetically engineered food that comes to market.
€ There is another source of risk associated with these foods. Namely, that testing procedures assess health impacts resulting from consuming a food over a limited period of time. This means that there is residual risk due to the possibility of longer term effects of the food.
€ Given the existence of these loop-holes and residual uncertainties, consumers should have the right to choose for themselves whether or not to accept the risks associated with genetically engineered foods.
€ Labelling of genetically engineered foods to specify the process (genetic engineering) that was used in producing them will allow consumers to make that choice.
€ There is another reason that genetically engineered foods should be labelled as such: This is a new technology, and people want to examine this technology in their own way. This is their right as consumers. Consumers simply have the right to choose for themselves whether or not, and to what extent, they will make use of genetically engineered foods.
.................................................................
John B. Fagan, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular Biology
Maharishi University of Management
(Maharishi International University 1971 to 1995)
1000 North Fourth Street
Fairfield, Iowa, 52557-1078
Phone(515) 472-8342
Fax (515) 472-5725
email jfagan@mum.edu
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