Codex Alimentarius adopts labeling of genetically modified foods

On July 5, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labeling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.

By Consumers International

Twenty year struggle within global food safety body ends with ‘consumer rights milestone’

Move clears way for greater monitoring of the effects of GM organisms

Consumers International (CI) and its member organisations celebrated victory today as regulators from more than 100 countries agreed on long overdue guidance on the labeling of genetically modified (GM) food.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission,* made up of the world’s food safety regulatory agencies, has been labouring for two decades to come up with consensus guidance on this topic.

In a striking reversal of their previous position, on Tuesday, during the annual Codex summit in Geneva, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labelling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.

The new Codex agreement means that any country wishing to adopt GM food labelling will no longer face the threat of a legal challenge from the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is because national measures based on Codex guidance or standards cannot be challenged as a barrier to trade.

Read more at Consumers International

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Hat tip GMWatch.

For more background on Codex and GMO labeling, see Codex poised to adopt GM labeling guidelines, by Non GMO Project, 21 May 2011.