Approval has been given by the European Commission for the use of genetically modified (GM) maize for food and feed. A spokesperson has said that GM maize has gone through a rigorous authorisation procedure.
After a voting process in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCOPAFF) and a subsequent appeal committee, member states did not reach a qualified majority in favour or against the authorisation. But the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has offered a favourable scientific assessment, concluding that GM maize is as safe as its conventional counterparts.
The authorisation is valid for a period of 10 years, and products produced from this GM maize will be subject to EU labelling and traceability rules.
Pre-packaged GM food/feed products must show a list of ingredients indicating “genetically modified” or “produced from genetically modified [name of the organism]”. Products without packaging should have the words clearly displayed in close proximity. These labelling requirements do not apply to food/feed products where no more than 0.9% of the ingredients are GM.
Stipulations also are that all operators – farmers or food and feed producers who introduce a product in the supply chain, or who purchase such a product must be able to identify their supplier and the companies to which the products have been delivered.