Activists seek stop to illegal import and sale of GM foods in India

NEW DELHI: Noting illegal import and sale of genetically modified (GM) food in India, a group of farm activists on Friday lodged their complaint with the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and demanded urgent action.
In their written complaint, they alleged that certain brands of imported packaged food were openly being sold in various stores in many cities across the country including Bengaluru, Noida and Mumbai.
“As mentioned by Union health minster, J P Nadda, in Parliament on December 29, 2017, various companies have been illegally importing and selling genetically modified soybean and canola oil for human consumption. Whilst these have the permission from environment ministry, they do not have the permission from the health ministry’s FSSAI”, said Kavitha Kuruganti, co-convenor of the Coalition for a GM-Free India, in her complaint to the FSSAI.
The FSSAI is the apex body tasked to regulate food to ensure that it is safe for human consumption as well as to make sure that there is no wrong information put out to consumers.
“These products do not even have the labelling of being derived from GM products”, said Kuruganti in her complaint.
Requesting “strictest action to all those who are violating the law and ensure that the unapproved products must be removed from the shelves immediately, the Coalition submitted list of products to substantiate its points.
It claimed that the processed food products made of GM material has already been in the consumer food supply chain in India, which is unapproved by the FSSAI.
As per Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 manufacture, sale, distribution or import of GM foods is prohibited unless specifically provided for under the Act and regulations made under it.
“We can only conclude that either you remain unaware, or inactive, failing in the discharge of your responsibility”, said Kuruganti in the Coalition’s written complaint to the Authority.