EU farm ministers at the Agricultural Council have agreed new rules this week to label food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which have been embraced by the US but remain deeply suspect in Europe.
The agreement was described yesterday as a "victory for the consumer" by Green MEP Ms Nuala Ahern. Under the new regulations, genetically modified food and feed "will have to be labelled, irrespective of whether it contains DNA or protein resulting from a GMO", she said.
Environmental and consumer groups had campaigned vigorously on the issue. "It is a blow to US-based corporate lobbyists who, even in the last number of weeks, were getting State Department officials to lobby on their behalf," Ms Ahern said.
Products such as oil derived from GM soya and transgenic oilseed rape, which did not have to be labelled up to now, are covered by the agreement.
