GM Food Labelling Committee — Public Consultation

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL - Tuesday, 10 August 2010]
p4995d-4996a
Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Robyn McSweeney
[1]
GM FOOD LABELLING COMMITTEE — PUBLIC CONSULTATION

2528. Hon Lynn MacLaren to the Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Agriculture and
Food
In reference to the interdepartmental committee on GM food labelling, I ask —
(1) In the public consultation telephone survey of 400 people from 8 to 10 June 2010, what questions were
asked?
(2) Does the Minister believe that this is an accurate reflection of public opinion?
(3) How many submissions to the committee on GM food labelling, from prominent national and state food
industry stakeholders, have been received to date?
(4) Will the Minister table the original letter sent to national and state food industry stakeholders, as well as
all submissions (and answers) received to date?
(5) When is the deadline for submissions?
(6) Will the Minister clarify what the report of the committee on GM food labelling will do?
(7) Will improving compliance to assist consumer choice, as a function of the final report, include
notification of the potential for GE contamination from stockfeed to dairy, egg, meat or poultry
products?
(8) Will the committee on GM food labelling consider the Trans Pacific Free Trade Agreement (TPPFTA)
in their final report?

Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
For the Department of Agriculture and Food:
1) Five questions were asked:
Q1. When you are shopping for processed food products, apart from the price you pay, what are your
main quality and health concerns about the food you buy and eat? Meaning, what do you look for when
you buy food and what are your main concerns about the food you buy and eat?
Q2. How much are you concerned about the presence of approved genetically modified ingredients in
any processed foods you buy and eat?
Q3. Where processing has removed all genetically modified ingredients from canola and cottonseed oil
derived from genetically modified crops, how concerned would you be about buying and using those
oils?
Q4. Would you be interested in more detailed information about genetically modified ingredients on
food labels of the food products you buy and eat?
Q5. What information would you like to read on a label for food that contained genetically modified
ingredients?
2) A reputable survey business was used to carry out the survey and the sample was randomly selected to
be a size (400) that provided a 95% level of confidence that responses would be accurate to within +/-
5%. As such, I believe that the survey is representative of public opinion.
3) 34 peak State and national food industry stakeholder organisations were canvassed by the study for their
responses about genetically modified (GM) food labelling issues via a letter. 13 replies were received.
4) Yes, with the final report.
5) The deadline was 1 June 2010.
6) The Committee was established by the Minister for Agriculture and Food to carry out investigations
into information for consumers to allow them to make informed choices about GM food. Specifically
the Committee was asked to investigate and report back on the issue of strengthening labelling laws to
identify GM and non GM food products and improved compliance to assist consumer choice, through
the relevant local, State and Federal agencies.
7) I do not know what the final report will recommend, however, the issue of animals being fed GM
animal feed has been raised with the Committee.
8) No the TPPFTA will not be considered since labelling requirements of foods containing GM
ingredients is developed at a national, rather than a State level by the Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code (the Code) under Standard 1.5.2 — Food Produced using Gene Technology.

The Code lists GM foods approved for sale and use in Australia and New Zealand and includes
mandatory labelling provisions for GM foods that apply to all foods sold in Australia and New Zealand,
both imported and domestically produced foods, and are not overridden by any intergovernmental
agreements. Any change to the Code would require an application to Food Standards Australia and New
Zealand and this would be judged on a public health and safety basis. Before any such change could
take effect, the support of a majority of the States, Territories and the Australian and New Zealand
Governments would be needed.