EU labelling for GM soya and maize

04 August 1997

EU labelling for GM soya and maize

The European Union (EU) plans to introduce rules in November for the labelling of food containing genetically modified (GM) maize or soya. Officials are working on how extensive the requirements should be and which derivatives will be covered.

The move has been motivated by fears that unilateral requirements EU states were introducing could confuse consumers and distort the single market. It will run in advance of European Commission plans to switch from its patchy and piecemeal approach to gene labelling to a more comprehensive policy covering the whole food chain.

Maize and soya were originally excluded from EU rules which required foods containing “live” genetically modified organisms to be labelled. GM maize was developed by Novartis and GM soya by Monsanto.