Question Period Note: Genetically modified foods - labelling and safety

N/A

• Canadians continue to raise concerns over the safety of GM foods and the lack of labelling of foods containing GM ingredients Our Government is committed to ensuring the safety and quality of Canada’s food supply using science and evidence based decision-making.
• To date, Health Canada has not identified any health and safety concerns with any genetically modified (GM) food reviewed and authorized for the Canadian market.
• A novel GM food is not permitted to be sold until Health Canada has determined that the food is as safe and nutritious as its conventional counterpart.
• Health Canada requires special labelling of all food, including GM foods, where there are significant nutritional changes or established health risks that might be effectively mitigated through labelling.
• Our Government has also supported the development of a voluntary labelling standard. This standard can be used by food manufacturers to address consumer demand for labelling.

IF PRESSED …
• Health Canada has been conducting safety evaluations of GM foods since 1993. To date, over 160 GM foods have been deemed safe for consumers.
• The publication of the new guidance does not require a change in approach to the labelling of these products. This approach remains supported by the scientific evidence regarding GM foods, including those from gene editing.

Regulation and Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Foods

Novel GM foods are regulated under Part B, Division 28 of the Food and Drugs Regulations (Novel Foods). Manufacturers of novel foods, including novel GM foods are required to file a pre-market notification with Health Canada prior to being sold in Canada. This pre-market notification permits Health Canada to conduct a thorough food safety assessment according to the Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods. These guidelines are based on scientific principles developed through expert international consultation with agencies such as the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The safety assessment involves determining: (1) how the food was developed; (2) how its composition and nutritional quality compares to non-modified counterpart foods; and (3) what potential the food has for being toxic or causing allergic reactions. This assessment also takes into account the safety of the food for vulnerable sub-groups (e.g., children, the elderly and the immuno-compromised), as well as its safety for the general population.

Since 1993, Health Canada has approved over 160 novel GM crops. The majority of these are canola, soybean, corn and cotton. Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) authorized the sale of AquAdvantage Salmon as a food and livestock feed in Canada in 2016 – this was the first approval of a GM fish or animal in Canada.

Health Canada and CFIA Responsibilities

The CFIA conducts livestock feed safety assessments for all novel GM products used as livestock feed. The CFIA is also responsible for conducting environmental safety assessments of novel GM crops (Environment and Climate Change Canada conducts the environmental assessment of GM microorganisms and animals) that are to be released into the Canadian environment. Health Canada and the CFIA have a joint approval policy, which requires coordination of timing of authorizations in order to ensure lawful entry of authorized products into the food or livestock feed chains.

The CFIA is also responsible for dealing with issues of non-compliance with the Food and Drugs Act. When requested by the CFIA, Health Canada would provide support if there is an occurrence of GM food non-compliance. This was the case with the non-compliant GM wheat that occurred in 2017.

Current Labelling Policy

Health Canada requires special labelling of all food products, including GM foods, where there are clear, scientifically established health risks or significant nutritional changes which might be mitigated through labelling. To date, Health Canada has not identified any health and safety concerns which would require the mandatory labelling of any GM food authorized for sale in Canada.

Federal policy on labelling of GM foods provides that manufacturers may voluntarily label food as derived from or not derived from genetic modification, provided that, the label is truthful and not misleading. A national standard with guidance to industry to facilitate the labelling of these food products to address consumer demand was ratified in 2004 by the Standards Council of Canada and was reaffirmed in 2021 following the re-establishment of a multi-stakeholder committee who determined the standard was still technically valid.

United States National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard

On December 20, 2018, the United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) announced the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) which was mandated by Congress in July 2016.

The standard requires food companies to disclose information about food containing genetically engineered or “bioengineered” (BE) ingredients on labels — either using text, a symbol or a digital link such as a QR code. The standard was implemented on January 1, 2020, except for small food manufacturers, whose implementation date was January 1, 2021. The mandatory compliance date for all manufacturers was January 1, 2022.

To determine ingredients that would be subject to disclosure, USDA developed the List of Bioengineered Foods. The list includes any BE crops or foods that are currently in legal production somewhere in the world. Even if a food is not included on the List, regulated entities whose records show that a food they are selling is bioengineered must make appropriate disclosure of that food. The List will be reviewed and updated annually.

The Government of Canada remains of the view that method-of-production labelling for food, such as BE disclosure, is best achieved through industry-led initiatives such as voluntary standards. Mandatory food labelling should be reserved to inform consumers of risks to their safety, health or a change in the nutritional composition of the product.

• Health Canada has established a clear and stringent process for evaluating the safety of novel foods derived through genetic modification (GM).
• Our Government has worked with stakeholders to develop a voluntary labelling standard that can be used by food manufacturers. This voluntary labelling standard was ratified by the Standards Council of Canada in 2004. It was reaffirmed in 2016 and again in 2021.
• As well, recent updates to GM food guidance clarify when products of genetic modification require pre-market safety assessment.