Genetically Modified Information
Definitions:
GM = genetically modified
GMM = genetically modified micro-organism
Background
Much has been written about the use and consumption of Genetically Modified (GM) food, and Protein Feeds Ltd. takes the issues very seriously and have done extensive research on this area.
The Current Situation
The Government supports mandatory labelling requirements which allow consumers to make an informed choice. There are European Union rules to ensure that GM products can be traced and labelled throughout the food chain so customers can choose whether to buy GM products or not.
Crops, products or individual food ingredients must be traced and labelled if they intentionally consist of GM organisms, however small the amount, or are derived from a genetically modified organism.
In addition if a product has an adventitious or technically unavoidable GM presence above 0.9% in any one ingredient it must be labelled.
GM material in animal feed
Before a genetically modified organism (GMO) can be either grown or marketed in the European Union (EU), it must be granted a marketing consent (i.e. authorised) under European Community (EC) legislation - EC Regulation 1829/2003 laying down the authorisation procedures for GM food and feed (the 'GM Food and Feed Regulation').
This requirement applies to both living GMOs such as rapeseed and soya beans, and to feed and food ingredients derived from the processing of GM crops. The authorisation procedure includes a safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). On the basis of these assessments, there is no reason to suppose that GM feed presents any more risk to farmed livestock than conventional feed.
GM feed, which is very unlikely to contain viable GMOs, is digested by animals in the same way as conventional feed. Food from animals fed on authorised GM crops is considered to be as safe as food from animals fed on non-GM crops.
GM ingredients used currently in UK dairy feed
