'Muslims can consume GMO foods'

'Muslims can consume GMO foods'

JAKARTA: Indonesia's leading authority on Islamic affairs has given the go-ahead for the consumption of imported genetically modified organism (GMO) foods, one of its members said Monday.

"Despite there being no official ruling on the GMO-based food products, as long as it comes from plantations, such as soya bean or corn, there are no problems," said professor Aisyah Girindra, head of the medicine and food supervision at the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI).

MUI, is the highest Indonesian Moslem body authorized to release religious rulings or labels of "halal", allowed by Islam, on processed food products distributed in the country.

"Unofficially, we have discussed the GMO issue but, until now, there is no official fatwa (ruling) yet issued on the matter," Girindra told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) in a telephone conversation.

Without a fatwa, Indonesian Moslems remain free to consume GMO products, said Girindra.

In many countries, GMO imports are restricted due to fears of unknown side-affects from consuming food products whose natural genetic makeup has been altered by man.

Nearly 88 per cent of Indonesia's 215 million people are Moslems, making it the world's most populous Islamic nation.-DPA