European countries have either banned genetically engineered products or mandated labeling. The European Union in 1998 approved legislation that required its 15 member countries to label all foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. In Great Britain, activists have forced grocery chains and food producers to take such foods off the market. Many other governments, including those in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, Brazil, Sri Lanka and South Korea, are considering laws. Canada is developing standards for voluntary labeling, and Mexico's Senate voted unanimously in March to require labeling.
Japan requires mandatory safety testing for all genetically modified crops coming into the country.
It's the first worldwide treaty governing trade in genetically modified commodities and is expected to have significant economic impact on the United States, once it's been ratified, which may take two to three years. Some food makers are also taking a stand against genetically engineered food. Fast-food chains, including McDonald's, are telling their french fry suppliers to stop using genetically engineered potatoes. In late April, Boise-based J.R. Simplot Co., a major supplier of french fries to McDonald's, told its farmers it wouldn't buy any more genetically altered potatoes. McDonald's in the United Kingdom does not use any GM products.