Lok Sabha Question No. 3928 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Genetically Modified Food
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Parvesh Sahib Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3928 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH March, 2021

## GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

## 3928. SHRIMATI RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI: SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH VERMA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of measures taken by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for monitoring Genetic Modified Organisms (GMO) import in the country in last thre e years;
- (b) the details of the cases of illegal import of GMO and illegal sale of Genetically Modified Food in the country in last three years;
- (c) the measures taken to penalize the offenders and to check such practices;
- (d ) whether the Government has taken any initiative o study the impact of GMO on human health; and
- (e ) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to (e) : Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  has  informed  that permission for Genetically Modified (GM) crops has to be granted by Genetic Engineering Appraisal  Committee  (GEAC) under  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  and  Rules thereunder.

Further, FSSAI has issued orders on 21.08.2020 that every imported  consignment 24 food crops  listed in the said order shall be accompanied with a Non -GM origin - cum GM free Certificate issued by Competent National Authority of the exporting country. It has been subsequently clarified that this order is applicable to consignments of specified fo despatched  from  exporting  country  on  or  after  1st  March,  2021.    A  tolerance  limi adventitious presence of GMOs at 1% is permissible in imported food crop consignments covered under the said Order.

Instances  of  sale/supply  of  labelled  genetically  modified  (GM)  food  came  to notice of FSSAI through survey report titled 'qPCR - based Detection of Genetically Modified Processed Foods in India 'by Centr e for Science and Environment (CSE).

On receipt of survey report, FSSAI issued notices in the month of August, 2018 t concerned Food Business Operators.

Food  Business  Operators  responded  that  their  products  did  not  contain  any  G ingredients and also supported their claim by providing test reports from NABL accre labs.

Further, GEAC, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has informed that provision to ban the prohibited genetically modified seeds is available in the S 1966, the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The S Inspector notified under Section 13 of the Seeds Act, 1966 and under Cla use 12 of the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 is empowered under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 to draw GM seed samples and to test in the notified testing laboratories in case of sale of p GM  seeds.  DNA  fingerprinting  and  Transgenic  Crop  Mo nitoring  Lab,  Guntur,  Andhra Pradesh, ICAR - National Bureau of Plant Genetic resources, New Delhi, Export Inspectio Agency,  Kochi,  Plant  Biotechnology  Incubator,  Mohali  are  notified  as  a  National  ref Laboratory for detecting GM seeds. ICAR - Central In stitute for Cotton Research, Nagpur is a referral laboratory for detecting Bt . Cotton.