Genetically modified edible oil is generally illegible

Concerning the problem of unclear identification of genetically modified edible oil on the market, several lawyers filed suits in various courts across the country, triggering a major debate on genetically modified markers. A reporter from the Beijing Morning Post visited the market and found that a number of edible oil companies using genetically modified raw materials only indicated “genetically modified soybeans” in small letters in the ingredients column. Compared with the low profile of genetically modified edible oils, non-genetically modified edible oils are more high-profile, with non-transgenic words marked in bold letters on the packaging, and some small edible oil and condiment companies using genetically modified raw materials are simply not labeled.

Financial investigation into soybean oil genetically modified genetically modified signs “A lot of cooking oil is now labeled with non-genetically modified raw materials or large-sized brands. Some of the edible oils that use genetically modified raw materials are genetically modified and are small, dense and ingredients. The production date and other information are arranged together. If you do not pay attention, it is easy for consumers to ignore it.” said Xu Silong, a Yunnan lawyer who initiated the initiative and litigation.

In response to the problem of unclear identification of genetically modified markers, Xu Silong launched an action on legal action on Weibo in August this year. To this end, he jointed 70 lawyers and filed suits in various courts in the country, requesting confirmation of the existence of alleged infringements of consumers' right to know. Nowadays, 9 sites across the country, including Kunming, Xi’an, Fuzhou, and Qingdao, have already placed on file, involving edible oils from a number of well-known brands such as Arowana, Fulinmen, and Xiangman Park.

In response to the doubts of lawyers, edible oil companies stood up to respond. The company's production company, Yihai Kali Food Marketing Co., Ltd. issued a statement saying that the company uses products made from genetically modified raw materials, and its product identification complies with the requirements set by the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China for the labeling of agricultural genetically modified organisms. There is a problem with unclear identification." The head of public relations of COFCO Fortune Land Company also stated that the company’s product identity complies with relevant national regulations.

The Beijing Morning Post reporter visited the market and found that food companies were relatively high-profile when promoting the use of raw materials for edible oil products as “non-GM”. Multiple brands of peanut oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, etc. were marked with “Big Non-GMO” in the middle of the label. . In contrast, the products containing genetically modified ingredients in the raw materials are more low-key, and the “genetically modified soybeans” are only indicated in the list of ingredients in small letters. If they are not careful, they are easily overlooked or misidentified. Ms. Liu told reporters at the Beijing Morning Post that she was researching the composition of food after she became pregnant. She found that the edible oil barrel was marked with genetically modified soybeans as the processing raw material. It was a very small font. Ms. Liu gave up. The edible oil brand that he has eaten for many years.

The over-releasing of the national standard caused the controversial edible oil company's response not to let the controversy sound down. "According to the national standard does not mean that it is legal." Xu Silong said that the 1.8-mm height font is too small to even print out. The current national standard still does not meet the requirements set by relevant laws and regulations. Xu Silong emphasized that there is still room for improvement based on the national standard, and hopes that relevant laws and regulations can be brought to the attention of relevant parties to protect consumer's right to know and further promote the revision of the national standard.

The Beijing Morning Post reporter learned that according to the requirements of the national standard --- Ministry of Agriculture No. 869 Announcement ---2007 "Identification of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organism Labels" implemented on August 1, 2007, the maximum surface area of ​​genetically modified product packaging is greater than or equal to 10 square meters. In centimeters, the height of the text shall not be less than 1.8 mm, nor shall it be less than the minimum mandatory markings in the product label; when the maximum surface area of ​​the packaging is less than 10 cm 2 , the text size shall not be less than the minimum mandatory marking in the product label. .

Insiders pointed out that the national standard is too loose, giving businesses a big chance to wipe the ball. The lawyers represented by Xu Silong took the opportunity to question the rights of infringing on consumers’ rights. Zhu Danpeng, a researcher at the China Food Research Institute, told the Beijing Morning Post that the current market supervision of genetically modified products has not risen to a certain height. Not strong.

Non-GMO soybeans are 20% higher

An industry source pointed out that due to the huge spread between genetically modified soybeans and non-genetically modified soybeans, coupled with the lack of strict supervision, the use of genetically modified raw materials and unlabeled behavior is widespread among small edible oil and condiment companies. This means that consumers have consumed genetically modified raw materials without much knowledge.

The unlabeled behavior of the business is more of a driver of interest. Zhu Dan Peng pointed out that non-genetically modified soybeans are nearly 20% more expensive than genetically modified soybeans. Starting from cost, most manufacturers will choose lower-priced GM soybeans.

Industry sources pointed out that 100% of imported soybeans are now GM soybeans, and the oil output rate is between 20% and 21%, while the domestic soybean production rate is only 17% and the price is more expensive than imports. Therefore, most manufacturers will use imported genetically modified soybeans as raw materials. At present, domestic soybeans are mainly used as edible beans, while imported soybeans are used as pressing raw materials. Data show that China imports about 60 million tons of soybeans to 70 million tons each year, while domestic soybean production is about 13 million tons, which also means that non-GM soybean production is one-fifth of the amount of GM soybean imports.