Australia overrides NZ on labels

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The mandatory labelling of food containing genetically modified ingredients has been postponed for a year after Australian health ministers overrode New Zealand's desire to introduce the new rule in December.

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority, made up of nine Australian ministers and New Zealand Health Minister Annette King, decided 18 months ago that consumers had the right to know whether food contained genetically modified products. They told food manufacturers they had to comply with a new labelling system by December 7.

But during a teleconference yesterday, the group decided to give manufacturers a further 12 month breathing space, meaning stock already on the shelf would not have to be removed or re-labelled. Only food bought, manufactured or imported after December 7 would be affected.

Green party health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley condemned the decision as a capitulation to food industry pressure.

"Consumers will be outraged when they realise that yet again the Government has put industry pressure ahead of the fundamental right to know what is in the food we eat."

The decision also raised serious questions about New Zealand's sovereignty, she said.

"The Government says it wants to introduce mandatory labelling but it has been overridden by Australian states.

"ANZFA is not an equal partnership because we are only one vote out of 10. We've effectively given up the right to make such fundamental decisions as how to label our foods."

But Mrs King said New Zealand would never have been able to introduce an effective labelling system without being part of ANZFA, because the two countries were treated as one domestic market in terms of food products.

She had argued strongly for the council to stick to the original decision.

"I did ask for it to start on December 7 because I believe the industry had a year to plan for it.

"But ... the overwhelming consensus was that it would be unduly harsh, particularly on small retailers, to make them take stock off the shelf, therefore losing a lot of money."

Ms Kedgley said there was no way to monitor the loophole that had been created by the decision and shoppers would be confused by the sight of identical foods with different labels.

But Mrs King said it was a labelling information issue rather than a matter of food safety.

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