NEWSFLASH: NZ Position On Food Labeling Adopted

Friday, 28 July 2000, 3:46 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

The ANZFA Ministers have today decided to adopt what amounted to the New Zealand position on the labeling of GE food. A Press Conference on the decision has just broken up.

According to Scoop’s reporter NZ and the States of Australia effectively ganged up on the more liberal position being advocated by Australian PM John Howard.

Only Western Australia and Northern Territory supported Howard’s option and the decision adopted means Australasia will have a “slightly stronger” position on labeling than recently adopted by the EU – in that ANZFA has not granted an exemption for “GE processing aids”.

The position adopted means labeling is mandatory except for in the case of the uses of highly refined oils, sugars and starches which are not detectable because the GE component has been refined out of the end product.

The industry – according to an Australian Grocers representative at the press conference - says testing is a waste of money but he thought they could live with the agreement.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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