Genetically Modified Food Labelling

Genetically modified foods are still an unknown quantiy. New allergens could be created inadvertently, and known allergens could be transferred from traditional foods into genetically modified variants. For example, when a gene from the brazil nut was introduced into soybeans, it turned out that people allergic to brazil nuts were also allergic to the soybean.

Growing GM crops on a large scale may have implications for biodiversity, the balance of nature, wildlife and the environment. In August 1999, Australia's state and federal health ministers had agreed that all foods, food additives and processing aids produced using gene technology would be labelled. But in response to US government and industry pressure on John Howard this has been watered down so that; refined GM foods, food additives, processing aids and restaurant meals will all be unlabelled; products accidentally polluted with up to 1% GM food are exempt too.

Many Australians do not want to expose themselves to genetically modified food. It is clearly their choice. For this reason it is important that food manufacturers are made to state clearly if their product contains ANY genetically modified material or resulting product. Some of the money raised from the advertising revenue on this petition will go to the Gene Ethics Appeal of the Australian Conservation Foundation.