KENYA STANDARD                            KS 2225: 2009 
       ICS …….... 
                            
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
Genetically modified organisms and derived products – Labelling of food and 
feed 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
©KEBS 2009        First  Edition 2009  
 
 
 
  
 KS 2225: 2009                                                                                                            
 
ii                     © KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved  
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION 
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Ministry of Livestock Development — Department of Veterinary Services 
Ministry of Agriculture  
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation 
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute  
National Council for Science and Technology Consumer Information Network 
Pest Control Products Board  
Seed Trade Association of Kenya University of Nairobi — Department of Public Health and Pharmacology and Toxicology 
Kenyatta University — Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology  
National Cereals and Produce Board Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers 
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute  
Ministry of Trade-Department of External Trade Bidco Oil Refineries Ltd 
Proctor and Allan (EA) Ltd 
Kenya Bureau of Standards   
 
  
 
   
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS 
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. Suggestions for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome. 
  
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2009 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyrig ht 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau  of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in w riting 
from the Managing Director.  
 
      
 
  
 KENYA STANDARD                                         KS 2225: 2009 
 ICS ………….  
 © KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved           iii  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
           
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
Genetically modified organisms and derived 
products – Labelling of food and feed 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS) 
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi-00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020)  604031 
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org   
 
Coast Region    Lake Region         Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa-80100  P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu-40100       P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru-20100 Tel.: (+254 041) 229563, 230939/40  Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396       Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555 
Fax: (+254 041) 229448   Fax: (+254 057) 21814
        KS 2225: 2009                                                                                                            
 
iv                     © KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved Foreword 
 
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Biotechnology  Technical Committee under the guidance of the 
Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bureau of 
Standards.  
It provides guidelines for ensuring that labelling of food, feed and ingredient derived from  genetically 
modified organisms (GMOs) provides clear and factual, information to protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in trade. Labelling plays an important ro le in providing information to consumers and thereby 
facilitating informed consumer choice. The information should be provided in a manner to avoid misleading 
the consumer. 
 During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following documents: 
 
Biosafety Act No 2. 2009.  
CAC/GL 1-1979, General Guidelines on Claims 
  CAC/GL 2-1985, Guideline on Nutritional Labelling 
 
Codex Stan 1-1985, General Standard  for Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods 
 
KS CAC/GL 23-1997, Guidelines for Us e of Nutrition and Health Claims 
  KS CAC/GL 44-2003; Principles for Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern   Biotechnology  
 
KS CAC/GL 45-2003, Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessments of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA plants  
 
KS CAC/GL 46-2003, Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced 
Using Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms   
KS CAC/GL 68-2008, Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from 
Recombinant-DNA Animals   
Standard 1.5.2, Food Produced Using Gene Technology Issue 112; Australia New Zealand Food 
Standards Authority  
KS-40 Parts 1-2:1990, Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods 
 Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European parliament and the Council on Genetically Modified 
Food and Feed 
 
KS 2182:2009, Code of Practice for handling; transfer and use of Genetically Modified Organisms and Derived Products 
 
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from these sources. 
   KENYA STANDARD              KS 2225: 2009  
© KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved                     1  
 
Genetically modified organisms and derived pr oducts – labelling of food 
and feed 
 
1 Scope 
 
This standard provides guidelines for labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and derived products intended for use as food, feed or ingredients 
 
2 A pplication  
 
2.1 This standard shall apply to labelling of genetically modified food, feed or ingredients that have been 
authorized for consumption but  
 
2.2. Shall not apply to: 
 
a) Fully refined foods, feed or ingredients, with altered characteristics, where the effect of the refining 
process is to remove the genetically modified protein or gene. 
 
b)  Food, feed or their ingredients containing genetically modified organisms and derived products in 
proportions of less than 5% of the total weight of the product. 
 
3 Normative references 
 
The following referenced documents are indispensible in the application of this standard: 
 
KS-40 Parts 1-2: 1990, Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods  
 
KS CAC/GL 23-1997, Guidelines for Use of Nutrition Claims   
 
KS CAC/GL 44-2003, Principles for Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology   
 KS CAC/GL 45-2003, Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessments of Foods Derived from 
Recombinant-DNA plants  
 
KS CAC/GL 46-2003,  Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced Using 
Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms   
 KS CAC/GL 68-2008,  Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from 
Recombinant-DNA Animals   
 KS 2182:2009, Code of Practice for handling, transfer use of Genetically Modified Organisms and 
Derived Products  
 
4 Definitions 
 
For the purpose of this standard, and in addition to the terms defined in KS 40 Parts 1-2: 1990 and KS 2182: 
2009, the following definitions shall apply:  4.1 Conventional counterpart 
shall be a related organism/variety, its components and/or products for which there is experience of establishing safety based on common use as food, feed or ingredient.   
 
4.2 
Denomination 
  
 
 KS 2225: 2009 
            
                              © KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved 24.3 
Food, feed or ingredient derived from genetically modified organism  
shall be a food, feed, or ingredient produced from, in whole or in part from genetically modified organisms.  
 4.4  Genetic modification 
shall be a collection of techniques which are used to alter the heritable genetic material of living cells or 
organisms in a way that does not occur naturally by multiplication and/or recombination.  4.5 Labelling   
shall be any written, printed or graphic matter that is present on the label, accompanies the food or is displayed near the food including that for the purpose of promoting its sale or disposal. 
   
4.6 
Unique identifier   
shall be a simple numeric or alphanumeric code which serves to identify a GMO on the basis of the 
authorised transformation event from which it was developed and providing the means to retrieve specific 
information pertinent to that GMO.  
 
5  General requirements  
Labelling of food, feed or ingredients containing genetically modified organisms or products derived from 
genetically modified organisms shall be considered after they have undergone appropriate food safety assessment in accordance with KS CAC GL 44: 2003, KS CAC GL 45: 2003, KS CAC GL 46: 2003 and KS 
CAC GL 68: 2008. 
  
5.1  Food , feed or ingredient derived from genetically modified organisms  offered to the consumer shall 
be authorized for use in Kenya in accordance with KS 2182:2009. 
 
5.2  Any person offering food, feed or ingredient derived from genetically modified organisms for sale shall demonstrate that it has been authorised in accordance with section 5.1. 
 
6 Labelling requirements 
 
Labelling of food, feed, or ingredients containing or derived from GMOs shall be consistent with the 
requirements of KS 40 Parts 1-2:1990, KS CAC/GL 1-1979 and KS CAC/GL 23-1997.  
 
6.1 Where food, feed or ingredient containing or derived from genetically modified organisms is 
displayed for sale, labelling shall include the statement “genetically modified”. 
 6.2 Labelling information shall indicate a change in co mposition, nutritional value, intended use, and any 
other characteristics or properties which the food, feed, or ingredient derived from genetically modified 
organism differs from the conventional counterpart.  
6.2.1 Where a food or feed consists of a single ingredient or where there is no list of ingredients; the words 
“genetically modified” or “produced from genetically modified (name of the ingredient or organism) shall be in the labelling information. For example;  
 
“Soybean (genetically modified)” “Maize flour produced from genetically modified (maize)”  
 “Soy protein isolate (genetically modified)”, 
 6.2.2 Where a food or feed consists of more than one ingredient the words “genetically modified” or 
“produced from genetically modified (name of the ingredient) shall appear on the list of ingredients to indicate 
the ingredient that is genetically modified. For example:  
Ingredients:  Soy protein isolate (genetically modified)  
Maltodextrin  Vegetable oil  
Emulsifier  
Water                           KS 2225: 2009 
 
 
© KEBS 2009 — All rights reserved         
     3
 6.2.3 Where food, feed or ingredient derived from genetically modified organism contains a new factor 
known to cause allergic response in particular sections of the population, the presence of the allergen shall be declared in the labelling information. 
 
6.2.4 Where the food, feed, or ingredient derived from genetically organism differs in intended use, mode of storage, preparation or cooking; clear instructions shall be given on its use, storage and preparation.  
 
6.2.5  Where the origin of genetic material used in the modifications may raise objections based on religious or cultural dietary restrictions, such origin may be declared. 
 
6.3 Where there is common knowledge on the identity of the product by way of a unique identifier or a denomination or any other internationally accept ed identifier, that identity may be indicated .  
 
7 Prohibition on Claims 
 
7.1  Claims which cannot be substantiated 
 7.2  Claims that are not in conformity with the suitabili ty of the food, feed or ingredient in conformity with  
KS CAC/GL 23-1997  
 
7.3      Claims which could give rise to doubt about the safety of similar food or which could arouse or exploit 
fear in the consumer.