3-Food: Singapore sets up GE food testing lab

[GENET <hmeyer@ngi.de>]

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TITLE:  S'pore to ensure safety of GM food
        AVA prepares to handle a possible increase in such items
SOURCE: The Straits Times, Singapore
        http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/techscience/story/
        0,4386,174278,00.html
DATE:   Feb 28, 2003

------------------ archive: http://www.gene.ch/genet.html ------------------


S'pore to ensure safety of GM food
AVA prepares to handle a possible increase in such items

SINGAPORE is gearing up to handle a possible onslaught of genetically
modified food in the next five years.

A laboratory has been set up by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
(AVA) to test such food items and make sure they do not pose any health
risks for people here.

Six AVA staff have also been trained to test for food that has been
altered, said the local food watchdog's chief executive officer, Dr Ngiam
Tong Tau.

He was speaking to The Straits Times after opening the International
Conference on Genetically Modified Foods - Prospects, Challenges and
Safety at the Mandarin Hotel yesterday.

The laboratory, which was set up last year at its public health
laboratory in Jurong, will be relocated to its new Lim Chu Kang public
health centre soon.

Genetically-modified (GM) food is from plants or animals that have been
injected with special genes to give them certain properties.

In 2001, more than 52 million ha of such soya bean, corn, cotton and
canola oil were grown in 13 countries.

About half of the soya and a third of the corn sold here is genetically
modified, but they have all been tested stringently before hitting the
shelves.

Dr Ngiam said that so far, the AVA has not rejected any GM product, but
caution is still needed for future ones.

He said: 'If they came in through normal procedure, then they would be
safe. But sometimes food producers may not tell you the food being sold
has been modified genetically.'

On whether Singapore would label these foods, Dr Ngiam reiterated the
Government's stand that it would wait for the Codex Alimentarius' decision.

This is an international committee sanctioned by the World Health
Organisation and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The group is expected to come up with biosafety protocols for the world
by the middle of the year, but a decision on labelling will be taken later.

If it decides that labelling is not needed, Singapore, because of its
small size, would find it difficult to insist that sellers and importers
do so.

Labelling on its own would cost the Republic millions and food would cost
more.

A public forum on GM food will be held tomorrow, the last day of the
conference.

Foreign and local experts will speak at the meeting, which will be held
at the Mandarin Hotel at 10.30 am.

It costs $10 to attend.