The Consumer Council urges the government to implement mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods.
In the recent annual Codex summit in Geneva, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labelling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.
The new Codex agreement means that any country wishing to adopt GM food labelling will no longer face the threat of a legal challenge from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This is because national measures based on Codex guidance or standards cannot be challenged as a barrier to trade.
Ms Connie Lau, the Chief Executive of the Consumer Council, welcomes the agreement as it recognises the enormous health monitoring benefits of giving consumers transparent information about the presence of GM foods.
The new development in GM food labelling represents that an international consensus has been reached, and government should review its stance of mandatory labeling, says Ms Connie Lau.
In April this year, the Council reiterated its request to the government on the establishment of a local regulation regarding the mandatory labelling of GM foods.
GM food labelling is now required in the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Korea, China, Russia and Brazil.
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) issued the "Guidelines on Voluntary Labelling of Genetically Modified Food" in July 2006. But data from CFS shows only few traders adopting GM food labelling.