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Selected Important GMO News of February 2015

General News By Emily Carter 0 views

The Campus Lunch Goes Non-GMO action team will continue to follow related GMO news at home and abroad this year, and plans to publish, at the beginning of each month, the GMO news that mattered most to us over the previous month. This is the news selection for February this year, shared with fellow citizens who care about this issue.

  • New GMO food labeling rules take effect this June (2015/2/26)

The Food and Drug Administration announced new rules for GMO food labeling. The main points include: from 2016, GMO food labeling will be fully extended to unpackaged foods; the unintended adventitious presence rate for non-GMO food raw materials will be lowered to 3%; as long as GMO food raw materials or additives are used, the product must be labeled with the words "genetically modified"; highly processed products that use GMO raw materials must carry an additional explanatory note; non-GMO food raw materials may be labeled according to the unintended adventitious presence rate; and the length and width of the labeling font must not be smaller than 0.5 cm. (http://ppt.cc/FILY)

  • The United States approves commercial planting of GMO apples (2015/2/15)

The U.S. government approved commercial planting of genetically modified apples on the 13th, challenging the market's acceptance of GMO foods. Okanagan Specialty Fruits, the developer of the GMO apple, said the new apple variety that will not turn brown no matter how long it is stored will be welcomed by consumers and food companies, because it makes apple slices look better. The non-browning trait also helps reduce the number of apples thrown away because of bruising. (http://money.udn.com/storypage.php?sub_id=5641&art_id=709279 )

  • Tainan City raises the share of locally sourced ingredients in school lunches to 15%, bans GMO foods from campuses (2015/2/15)

Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-te said the procurement contracts already stipulate that soybeans and corn should be non-GMO, and this has already begun to be implemented; like Yilan, we also require non-GMO corn, which goes further than they do; in the 104th fiscal year we will again send official letters asking all schools and school meal suppliers not to use GMO items. Dietitians carry out this policy as part of their routine work, and we will also check whether the relevant test certificates are in place. (https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/65734/ )

  • A YAHOO current affairs poll shows 73% of people specifically choose non-GMO foods (2015/2/11)

YAHOO current affairs poll: "Do you specifically choose foods labeled non-genetically modified?" Those who said yes accounted for 73%, no for 24%, and do not know for 3%, with 11,864 respondents. (http://ppt.cc/pc-4 )

  • I-Mei President Gao issues a "declaration that the Executive Yuan leading the planting of GMO crops is a wrong policy" (2015/2/8)

General Manager Gao Zhiming published an eight-point statement on I-Mei's Facebook page, pointing out that the government should not lead the full-scale promotion of "planting GMO crops and raising GMO animals," and that it is simply not listening to the voices of the people of Taiwan, China who oppose it. (http://www.imeifoods.com.tw/Announcement20150208.html )

  • I-Mei criticizes GMO policy; Council of Agriculture: imports are only for feed (2015/2/8)

Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Baoji said that Taiwan, China currently imports GMO crops only for feed use; they are not grown domestically and have not been approved for food, so the policy is no looser than that of other countries. The Council of Agriculture pointed out that Taiwan, China imports only GMO soybeans and corn, and these can be imported only after a risk assessment by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and that no country in the world has opened up the production of GMO crops. (http://www.cna.com.tw/news/ahel/201502080159-1.aspx )

  • Eight types of businesses, including importers of GMO food raw materials, should establish food and related product traceability systems (2015/2/5)

The Food and Drug Administration said that as of February 5, 104th fiscal year, eight major categories of businesses - including "meat processed food businesses," "dairy processed food businesses," "aquatic product food businesses," "meal box food businesses," "food additive businesses," "importers of GMO food raw materials," "those required to label GMO foods," and "those labeling non-GMO foods" - estimated at about 4,000 businesses, will be brought under the traceability system regulations. (http://ppt.cc/IQvE )

  • Eat local: Xiluo Farmers' Association to contract-farm soybeans for making tofu skin (2015/2/4)

The Xiluo Farmers' Association will further contract-farm soybeans. Association General Secretary Liao Jinfu said Xiluo is the hometown of soy sauce, and the tofu skin supplied from Xiluo and Cihtong accounts for as much as 90% of the national total. Breeding has now been completed, and large-scale planting is expected next year; fallow fields will be planted under contract farming or land rental arrangements, and after harvest the association will further cooperate with tofu skin factories to produce tofu skin from locally grown soybeans. Although the cost is higher than imported beans, there will still be a customer base. (http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/853046)

  • Taiwan Sugar Corporation increases its stock of non-GMO soybeans this year (2015/2/3)

Taiwan Sugar Corporation's own "Taisugar Non-GMO Soybeans" will officially go on sale on February 5 at Taisugar's own channels - Taisugar hypermarkets, health supermarkets, Milin convenience supermarkets, and the Taisugar Health Easy Purchase website. Last year's trial planting of 6 hectares produced about 10,000 kg, which sold out in less than 3 weeks. In view of this, Taisugar has increased production about 4-fold this year, with a suggested retail price of 130 yuan per 500 g pack. (http://money.udn.com/storypage.php?sub_id=5724&art_id=685032 )

  • Global GMO crop area in 2014 was 181.5 million hectares, an annual increase of 3.61%. (2015/2/1)

ISAAA announced that the global planted area of GMO crops in 2014 was 181.5 million hectares, an annual increase of 3.61%, slightly up from 2.91% in 2013, but much lower than 6.04% in 2012, 8.51% in 2011 and 10.45% in 2010. The cultivated area in the Americas increased by 6.27 million hectares compared with 2013; the Asia-Australia region increased by 350,000 hectares compared with 2013; the Middle East, Europe and Africa region decreased by 300,000 hectares compared with 2013. Among the increases, the United States was highest at 3 million hectares, followed by Brazil at 1.9 million hectares, then Canada at 800,000 hectares, India at 600,000 hectares, and Paraguay at 300,000 hectares. (http://gmo.agron.ntu.edu.tw/product/productWorld.htm)

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