WRITTEN QUESTION No. 106/97 by James NICHOLSON to the Commission. Genetic manipulation of soya beans
Date: 1997-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, NICHOLSON
Subjects: consumer information, food processing, foodstuff, genetic engineering, genetically modified organism, health risk, labelling, soya bean













EUR-Lex - 91997E0106 - EN






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91997E0106

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 106/97 by James NICHOLSON to the Commission. Genetic manipulation of soya beans  


Official Journal C 367 , 04/12/1997 P. 0005 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0106/97 by James Nicholson (I-EDN) to the Commission (29 January 1997)Subject: Genetic manipulation of soya beans1. What action does the Commission propose to ensure that food products containing genetically manipulated soya can be identified by consumers?2. What research evidence has been considered regarding potential harmful effects of addition of genetically manipulated soya to the food chain?3. What range of foodstuffs is known to contain this form of soya?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (12 May 1997)1. Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the Parliament and of the Council concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients ((OJ L 43, 14.2.1997. )) was adopted on 27 January 1997 and will enter into force on 15 May 1997. Products covered by the scope of the Regulation and corresponding to one of the four categories of Article 8 will be subject to the labelling provisions of the Regulation.According to the provisions of the Regulation, detailed rules for the implementation of the labelling requirements shall be adopted by the Commission assisted by a standing committee consisting of representatives of the Member States. The Commission has already initiated this procedure and will make all efforts to finalise it before the Regulation comes into force. The Commission also intends to present a proposal in the context of Council Directive 79/112/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer ((OJ L 33, 8.2.1979. )), which will result in the application to the soya beans the same labelling requirements as those foreseen by Regulation No 258/97. Furthermore, notifiers of genetically modified products covered by Directive 90/220/EEC ((OJ L 117, 8.5.1990. )) were invited by the Commission to voluntarily label their products.2. The review of the risk assessment foreseen in Directive 90/220/EEC for the placing on the market of genetically modified organisms is carried out on a decentralized basis by the competent authorities of the Member States. This risk assessment takes into account all existing relevant scientific information available, in particular with regard to the specific aspect of potential harmful effects of the addition of genetically modified soya to the food chain.3. The Commission has no information on a limitation of the use of genetically modified soya beans only in specific parts of food processing. In principle, if the product complies with the requirements of all relevant regulations it can be used and processed like any other variety of soya beans. Accordingly the Commission encloses a soya bean utilization chart which gives general information on the range of products that utilize soya beans.