The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) under the administrative control of Ministry of Environment and Forests has not ordered for mandatory testing of Genetically Modified Packed Food being sold in the country. However, Approval of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the statutory body constituted under the ‘Rules for the Manufacture, Use /Import /Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms / Genetically Engineering Organisms or Cells, 1989’ notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, is mandatory prior to commercial use of genetically modified organisms and products derived therefrom. The GEAC is following a case by case system of approvals for which extensive rules and guidelines have been framed for evaluating their environmental and health safety. As of date, the GEAC has approved the environmental release of only Bt cotton in India. The GEAC had received request only for import and commercial use of GM Soybean oil in India which was granted during July 2007. No other request has been received so far.

The results of the biosafety studies including toxicity and allergenicity data of all commercially released genetically modified crops are available in the public domain at www.envfor.nic.in and www.igmoris.nic.in. Stakeholder comments are taken into consideration prior to their commercial release.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Shri Namo Narain Meena in a reply to a question by Shri M. Raja Mohan Reddy in Lok Sabha.