Food

Scientists do not know the long-term effects of releasing unpredictable genetically engineered (GE) organisms into the environment or the human diet.

However, ingredients derived from GE crops or from animals fed GE feed are freely entering our food supply - without adequate safeguards in place, and often without consumer knowledge or consent.

Although the GE industry and its supporters want consumers to believe GE food is safe and thoroughly tested, the fact is the risks to public health and the environment are unknown.

Growing awareness of the unwanted affects of GE-food production on human food consumption has sparked a wave of rejection, led by consumers and food companies in some of the world’s largest markets.

Due to consumer pressure, many food companies have removed GE food from their products and some leading producers have promised not to feed their animals GE feed.

But GE foods continue to contaminate our food chain, often unlabelled. Australian food is exposed to genetic engineering in a number of ways – directly from GE crops, via GE processed ingredients, and through GE animal feed.

GE crops

Cotton is currently the only Australian-grown GE food crop. It is made into cottonseed oil or fed to animals. Cottonseed oil is frequently used for deep-frying as well as in the production of dried fruit.

The federal government has approved GE canola for release, however it was initially denied approval in all canola-growing states. The moratorium on GE canola in NSW is now under question.

Canola oil is widely used in margarines, cooking oils, and the manufacture of confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, tinned fish and baked goods. If GE canola is released, it would significantly increase additional GE exposure for Australian food.

GE processed ingredients

Ingredients derived from GE crops include vegetable oils (including soy or canola), cottonseed oils, starch, lecithin and flours. Committed Australian food companies are able to find non-GE sources for their ingredients.

Australian-grown soy, corn and canola are all GE-free at present and a wide range of guaranteed non-GE ingredients is available on the international market, including GE-free cotton. Non-GE sources of oils and other derivatives produced from these crops can be guaranteed.

Some processing aids such as the cheese-making enzyme ‘chymosin’ have themselves been genetically engineered.

Animal feed

GE ingredients in our food can be derived from animals fed GE crops. Non-GE animal feed is also available on the international market.

GE food is regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which has approved over 20 varieties of GE corn, soybeans, sugarbeet, potatoes, cotton and canola for human consumption in Australia.

Most of these GE ingredients are imported from other countries for use in Australian food production. No specific approval is required to feed GE crops or derivatives to animals.