Print this news Thailand LABELLING 'WILL MAKE PRICES SOAR' by Kultida Samabuddhi 06-Sep-2001 Bangkok Post   Meeting labelling rules for products with genetically modified materials will lead to price rises, food producers warn. Draft regulations on the new regime should have included products made from potato, especially children's food and snacks made by giant food manufacturers, they told a forum seeking public comment. It was widely known these products contained GM ingredients, they said. Vichai Chokeviwat, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration, said laboratories in Thailand were capable of testing only corn and soybean for GM materials, although other ingredients would be added to the list soon. The draft rules require labelling on 24 types of products made from corn and soybeans, such as tofu, natto, soya milk, miso, roasted soybean flour, soybean protein, corn flour, pop corn, and corn snacks. The regulations were drafted in July and were presented for public comment last month. The draft goes to the National Food Commission for feedback and to the public health minister in November. The drafting sub-committee comprises FDA, the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the Medical Science Department, the Agriculture Department, Greenpeace Southeast Asia and consumer groups. NGOs refused to accept the final draft. They said products containing any amount of GM materials should carry a label. The drafting committee said a product would be labelled if its overall ingredients or one of its three main ingredients contained more than 5% of GM materials. Angkana Srisuwana, an assurance superviser with Malee Sampran Public Co Ltd, said the draft should allow non-GMO food producers to label their products with a "GM-free" sign. Mr Vichai said such labels could be used as propaganda tools, and the FDA could not monitor every product. Ms Angkana said manufacturing costs would increase due to GM testing. Another producer agreed, saying price rises were unavoidable. Jetsada Larpchareonkiart, of the Association of Miso Producers, suggested the draft define more clearly "small food producers", who were not required to label their products. "Does a housewife group producing miso have to test for GM in their miso? And what about Kasetsart University, which produces agricultural protein? I think an unclear definition would also serve as a loophole for producers to avoid the labelling process," he said. Mr Vichai said the drafting committee itself was confused. "However, at the moment, the draft would not cover direct sales of fresh corn or soybean products such as those offered by street vendors." Food producers want more time to prepare for the change. "We need more time to prepare, especially to find new reliable non-GM raw material suppliers,"` said one exporter. Mr Vichai said the draft would come into effect one year after details were published in the Royal Gazette. Print this news SEAMEO SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center http://www.bic.searca.org		Labelling 'will make prices soar'       More news...