Asia Forum Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Rolla Coasta who wrote (9560)	4/2/2000 12:53:00 AM
From: Rolla Coasta	Read Replies (1) of 9980

Genetically modified (GM) food poses danger to consumers. Is it a rip-off from biotech companies ? Genetics engineering could bring lots of profits to biotech companies with patents and boost up the food productivity. But what about the health of the pubilc ? GM food labelling policies imminent ALEX LO Genetically modified food could be labelled sooner than expected, with policy principles likely by the end of the year, a forum heard yesterday. Deputy Director of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Dr Leung Pak-yin told the forum on GM food: "There is a very good chance that mandatory labelling will go ahead. "I think that is the general direction. Hong Kong is not lagging behind other countries on this issue. "Other countries might claim to be introducing labelling but they still have to work out standards of testing and monitoring." In a departure from the previous government line, Dr Leung said such a system could be in place before 2003. That was the deadline set for the United Nation's Codex Alimentarius Commission to establish internationally agreed standards for GM testing and labelling. "We will brief the Legislative Council in May and we expect to be able to finalise policy direction by the end of this year," Dr Leung said. "We will brief Legco and the public in full by that time." Yesterday's public forum was the first of two organised by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The second, in May, will focus on labelling. Greenpeace activists yesterday unfurled a banner at the Science Museum, where the forum took place. The group called for the speedy introduction of labelling. Forum speaker and Chinese University biology professor Samuel Sun Sai-ming warned against the condemnation of all modified food products. He said many only involved manipulating genes within a single organism without introducing any foreign genes. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology biochemist Dr Raymond Wong Sze-cheung deplored the climate of public opinion against modified food. "We need to get the more positive contributions the technology has made and could make for people," he said. But fellow speaker and Greenpeace campaigner Lo Sze-ping said scientists and big companies were not adopting the precautionary principles towards GM technology advocated at a recent UN environmental meeting. Related Stories: HONG KONG Ice cream find brings demand for makers' warning

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next