Ruling on GMO-based product labeling urged<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) expressed concern on
\nSunday over the government's tardy progress in issuing a
\nregulation on the labeling of GMO-based products, even though
\nsuch products were widely distributed and consumed in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
According to the YLKI, genetically-modified organism (GMO)s
\nand transgenic products had been sold in Indonesia for the last
\n20 years, and yet consumers remained misinformed about the
\ncontents of such products as manufacturers failed to state them
\non the labels.<\/p>\n
\"Consumers have the right to choose which products they
\nconsume by having adequate information,\" YLKI chairwoman Indah
\nSuksmaningsih told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The organization cited health concerns and possible impacts on
\nthe environment caused by transgenic experiments -- a way of
\ncreating higher-quality crops and stocks by inserting genes from
\nother species.<\/p>\n
Although there had been no report of Indonesian consumers
\nbeing harmed by the products, the potential health risk remained,
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
\"How can there be any data (on victims) if there's no studies
\nbeing made? People might think they were suffering from a certain
\nillness due to another reason, while actually the GMO-based
\nproducts they consumed were the cause,\" Indah said.<\/p>\n
Allergic reactions were the most common occurrence as the
\nconsumers did not realize they were consuming products containing
\nsubstances they were allergic to.<\/p>\n
Indah gave as an example the preserving of tomatoes, where
\nproducers injected the genes of an Antarctic fish to make the
\ntomatoes stay fresh during storage.<\/p>\n
\"A person who's allergic to fish could suffer an illness as he
\ndoes not realize that he's consuming tomatoes with fish genes,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
The YLKI conducted a study from December 2001 through January
\n2002 and found seven food products that used GMOs in their raw
\nmaterials. The products were Isomil Soy and Infant Formula (PT
\nAbbot Indonesia), Indofood ketchup (PT Indosentra Pelangi), ABC
\nketchup (PT Heinz ABC Indonesia), Bangau ketchup (PT Sakura Aneka
\nFood), Pringles potato chips (Procter & Gamble), corn flakes and
\nSimba (PT Simba Indosnack Makmur).<\/p>\n
The findings were, however, contested by the Indonesian Food
\nand Beverages Association (Gapmmi), which said that the YLKI had
\nfailed to carry out a thorough study or to mention the amount of
\nGMOs in each of the products examined.<\/p>\n
The food labeling and advertising regulation, which was issued
\nin 1999 as part of the implementation of the 1996 Food Law,
\nstipulates that consumers have the right to information on and
\nprotection against GMO-based products.<\/p>\n
The regulation, however, has yet to be widely implemented as
\nthe Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, Food and Horticulture,
\nand Health, which jointly issued the ruling, have yet to decide
\non the level of GMOs that must be declared on the product's
\nlabel.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to finalize it in March this year,\" Dedi Fardiaz, the
\ndeputy of the hazardous substances and food safety control
\nsection of the Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM), said on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Dedi acknowledged the potential health risks to consumers who
\nwere allergic to certain proteins in product, while underlining
\nthat not all transgenic products were harmful.<\/p>\n
\"It really depends on the person. Therefore, this matter
\ncannot be generalized,\" Dedi told the Post.<\/p>\n
Although many scientists have given assurances that the
\ntechnology is harmless, most governments around the world agree
\nthat \"the jury is still out\" on the real long-term effects on
\npeople's health.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ruling-on-gmo-based-product-labeling-urged-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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