Gene food dash as deadline reached

By Keith Perry and NZPA

Biotechnology firms have made a last-minute dash to register products containing genetically modified food.

At least 14 applications for the use of genetically modified ingredients in food on sale here were made over the past few days as last night's deadline approached.

The firms had until the end of the day to apply to the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (Anzfa) for approval.

The issue of genetically engineered food is due to be debated in Parliament after legislation promoted by Alliance MP Phillida Bunkle was drawn in the private member's bills ballot.

It calls for a commission of inquiry to consider the ethics, health risks, environmental effects and economic repercussions of genetically engineered organisms.

Concern is growing internationally, with some companies reacting to public concerns.

The British subsidiary of food giant Nestle has announced it will seek to eliminate genetically modified ingredients from its products, as will Unilever UK.

The New Zealand deadline means that if approval were given for a type of genetically modified potato, it could turn up as potato chips here. An estimated 500 genetically engineered foods are already on sale in this country.

Any company that missed the closing date will not be allowed to have its product used in food for sale here from May 13, when new food regulations take effect. The Ministry of Health has the task of policing shop shelves.

But Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said there was no intention of carrying out any enforcement and the Health Ministry did not have the resources to vet food anyway.

"How can Anzsfa turn down one variety of genetically engineered soy but pass another? It means the Health Ministry would have to inspect food from time to time to make sure it didn't contain the banned variety and they have no plans to do that."

The companies that met yesterday's deadline will be allowed to continue using their products until the application is assessed on safety grounds by June next year. The Government created an uproar among food and environmental campaigners by extending the approval time to then.

Originally, companies had to get approval by May 13, or face having products containing their genetically modified ingredients taken off supermarket shelves.

The extension is due to be challenged in the High Court at Wellington on Tuesday.

The Anzfa New Zealand general manager, Hugh Baber, said it was up to the companies that owned the intellectual property rights of genetically modified products to make the application.

He understood 14 applications had been made by yesterday, with more expected.

So far Anzfa has approved just two products for sale. They are the genetically modified soya beans and insect-resistant cottonseed developed by Monsanto.

The Ministry of Health said last night that it had contracted the Institute of Environmental Science and Research to carry out testing of genetically modified food. Overseas labs might also undertake testing.

Monsanto, one of the pioneers of genetically engineered food, has now admitted that such crops can cross-breed with native plants, creating hybrids resistant to weedkillers.

According to the Independent on Sunday, it concedes that insects are also capable of developing resistance to plants genetically engineered to kill them.