Indians consuming imported GM-processed food, parliamentary panel says

NEW DELHI: India doesn't allow commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops but Indians may well be consuming GM processed food- knowingly or un-knowingly. 

A Parliamentary panel has brought this out in the open by pointing out shortcomings in the functioning of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which has failed miserably to check import of such products. 

Taking note of the government's response over various issues concerning GM food crops, the committee on agriculture - which submitted its report to Lok Sabha speaker on March 15 - pointed out that "there is no check on GM processed food and other items coming from outside the country or being produced here" in India. 

It gave an example of cotton seed oil, produced in the country from Bt Cotton which is the only genetically modified crop allowed for commercial production. The cotton seed oil is, incidentally, widely used in India as cooking oil. 

After making its point, the panel - headed by CPM Lok Sabha MP Basudeb Acharia - also asked the government to "investigate the matter without further loss of time". 

The panel's report comes at the time when the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) is planning to keep in abeyance its controversial August, 2007 notification - which allows the import of GM foods into India without its prior permission - for another three or six months, beginning April 1. 

The required order will be notified by the ministry soon as the period of existing notification will expire on March 31. 

The ministry has continuously been keeping the notification in abeyance since February 2008. At present, any genetically engineered organism can be imported (either for research or for restricted lab trial) only after the prior permission Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). 

The ministry's order, keeping the 2007 notification in abeyance, has been in tune with what the Supreme Court's direction in response to a petition six years ago. The court had directed the ministry to put such order on hold till the controversial issue of transgenic crops is finally decided by it. The apex court will begin its hearing on April 14.