Page - October 17, 2006
Although 95 per cent of Canadians believe they have the right to know whether or not their food has been genetically engineered, there are no mandatory labelling regulations in place for GE food in Canada.
Canada does have a voluntary labelling scheme but, not
surprisingly, no companies so far have chosen to label their GE
food. Although approximately 70 per cent of processed foods in
Canada contain GE ingredients it's up to individual consumers to
read labels and make careful decisions in order to avoid GE.
Labelling around the world
More than two billion people worldwide are protected by existing
or proposed mandatory labelling laws. In Australia, New Zealand,
China, Indonesia, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and
over two dozen other countries, labelling is the law. Many
countries have also imposed moratoriums or bans on all or some GE
crops including members of the European Union, Brazil, Norway,
Japan, India, Great Britain and Thailand.
Avoiding GE ingredients
Although there is no GE labelling in Canada, reading labels
carefully can help you avoid the GE ingredients in processed foods.
Most corn, soy, canola and cottonseed in Canada is genetically
engineered. If you want to avoid GE ingredients, skip processed
foods containing GE crops and their derivatives (such as corn
syrup, for example).
For more detailed information, consult Greenpeace's guide, How to Avoid
Genetically Engineered Food.