Gene-Edited Foods Could Hit Shelves Without Labels Under New Trans-Tasman Proposal
The proposal, known as P1055, would exclude foods produced using New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) from GM classification, despite involving artificial genetic modification. Research indicates potential risks, including unintended genetic changes and unknown long-term health and environmental effects, yet consumers would have no way to identify these products on supermarket shelves.
Brendan Hoare, GE spokesperson for Organics Aotearoa NZ, said: 'FSANZ is pushing through changes without any economic, business or trade impact analysis that could fundamentally alter what's on our dinner plates, without proper consultation or safety testing.
The science is clear: while NBTs may not always introduce novel DNA, they still alter the cell's biochemistry, and things can go wrong through omissions, rearrangements, or unintended effects. New Zealanders deserve the right to know what's in their food. What gives regulators the confidence to think otherwise?
OANZ says FSANZ concluded gene-edited foods pose no new risks without providing supporting evidence or allowing meaningful industry response to their findings.
This isn't happening in isolation, it's part of a coordinated shift toward GM foods in our region, happening while consumers are kept in the dark.
OANZ is calling for an immediate pause on P1055 until independent trade impact and cost-benefit analyses are completed, and full labelling requirements are restored.
OANZ is now seeking urgent meetings with New Zealand Ministers Andrew Hoggard and Casey Costello, and is working alongside Australian Organics Ltd and allied groups to mobilise opposition to the proposal.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) is the national body representing New Zealand's organic sector. Established in 2006, OANZ was created to unite the country's organic organisations and provide a strong, collective voice to policymakers and the public. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to organic regenerative food and farming systems, supporting and advocating for the organic sector across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Nobby Clark not impressed by brother's surprise mayoral bid
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark is not supporting his younger brother's bid for the job. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark is not backing his brother's attempt to take over his job when he finishes up this election. Nelson-based Andrew Clark is running for mayor in the southern city while simultaneously standing for Tasman district mayor. Up there, he is running as Maxwell Clark. The move has irked big brother Nobby, who is finishing up as mayor after just one term at the helm. "I do not support my brother's nomination," mayor Clark told Local Democracy Reporting. "Why is he using Andrew and not using his known name (Maxwell) - while he is also standing for the Tasman mayoralty for the fifth time?" Andrew Clark said he told Nobby he was running for mayor on Thursday after his nomination went in. He hadn't said anything earlier because he didn't want to rely on "connections". It could be difficult to get hold of Nobby, he said, and he didn't want to overload him in light of recent health issues. Andrew Clark, who also goes by middle name Maxwell, is standing for mayor at opposite ends of the South Island. Photo: Supplied The Invercargill mayor was hospitalised in late June following a minor stroke. Andrew wasn't sure why his brother hadn't taken the news well, but said the two were conversing. "I think there's a lot of stresses and strains in his life," he said. As for Invercargill, Andrew said he had been there "a few times" and would move down if successful. "I have a belief that ratepayers should come front and centre, and as a mayor I would treat the public's money in the same way I treat my own - carefully, intentionally and with accountability." The mayoral hopeful is not completely unfamiliar to council. At a June 2024 meeting, he surprised elected members by making his way to the table mid-meeting to introduce himself and thank them for being supportive in a time of need. Mayor Clark was under fire at the time for a code of conduct matter relating to comments he'd made at a private event a few months earlier. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Gene Tech Bill Report Delayed. OANZ Welcomes Opportunity For Greater Scrutiny.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) has welcomed news from Parliament this week that the Health Select Committee has extended its reporting deadline on the controversial Gene Technology Bill from 31 July to 22 August. While no official explanation for the delay has been given, OANZ views the extension as a positive sign that the widespread concerns raised by farmers, exporters, scientists, and consumers are being taken seriously. 'This extension reflects that the issues at stake are complex, contested, and critical to New Zealand's food future,' said OANZ Chief Executive Tiffany Tompkins. 'We welcome the opportunity for greater scrutiny and urge all parties to prioritise strong protections for environmental and human health, as well as economic well-being. OANZ is in Wellington this week for the sixth time in 12 months, continuing high-level meetings with MPs from across the political spectrum and key government departments. The focus is on the rising concern over the erosion of Aotearoa's food system, including the Gene Technology Bill and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Proposal P1055, which would allow gene-edited foods to bypass safety checks and be sold without labelling or traceability. 'Together, the Gene Tech Bill and FSANZ's deregulation proposal risk undermining not just the organic sector, but the wider food and farming system, including our export reputation and the public's right to choose GE-free food,' said Tompkins. 'It also sends the wrong message to global markets, which increasingly demand full traceability and integrity from a country that prides itself on claims its clean, green and '100% Pure'. OANZ has led a national campaign alongside farmers, scientists, Māori leaders and concerned consumers, calling for the Bill to be slowed down, properly scrutinised, and reshaped to reflect the values New Zealand's food sector is globally known for. While the reporting delay offers a vital window for further consideration, OANZ remains vigilant. The organisation is calling on the government to ensure any final legislation protects: The right to farm GE-free Consumer choice and transparent labelling New Zealand's global reputation and market access 'This is a defining moment,' said Tompkins. 'We will continue to advocate on behalf of the sector, and for New Zealanders who deserve a safe and trusted food system that prioritises public health and environmental well-being.''
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
US, EU avert trade war with 15% tariff deal
The US has struck a framework trade agreement with the European Union, imposing a 15% import tariff on most EU goods - half the threatened rate - and averting a bigger trade war between the two allies that account for almost a third of global trade. US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the deal at Trump's luxury golf course in western Scotland after an hour-long meeting that pushed the hard-fought deal over the line, following months of negotiations. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters, lauding EU plans to invest some $US600 billion ($NZ997bn) in the United States and dramatically increase its purchases of US energy and military equipment. Trump said the deal, which tops a $US550 billion deal signed with Japan last week, would expand ties between the trans-Atlantic powers after years of what he called unfair treatment of US exporters. Von der Leyen, describing Trump as a tough negotiator, said the 15% tariff applied "across the board", later telling reporters it was "the best we could get." "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The agreement mirrors key parts of the framework accord reached by the US with Japan, but like that deal, it leaves many questions open, including tariff rates on spirits, a highly charged topic for many on both sides of the Atlantic. The deal, which Trump said calls for $US750 billion of EU purchases of US energy in coming years and "hundreds of billions of dollars" of arms purchases, likely spells good news for a host of EU companies, including Airbus, Mercedes-Benz and Novo Nordisk, if all the details hold. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying it averted a trade conflict that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. German carmakers, VW, Mercedes and BMW were some of the hardest hit by the 27.5% US tariff on car and parts imports now in place. The baseline 15% tariff will still be seen by many in Europe as too high, compared with Europe's initial hopes to secure a zero-for-zero tariff deal. Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who heads the European Parliament's trade committee, said the tariffs were imbalanced and the hefty EU investment earmarked for the US would likely come at the bloc's own expense. Trump retains the ability to increase the tariffs in the future if European countries do not live up to their investment commitments, a senior US administration official told reporters on Sunday evening. The euro rose around 0.2% against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal's being announced. MIRROR OF JAPAN DEAL Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at Teneo, said Sunday's accord was "merely a high-level, political agreement" that could not replace a carefully hammered out trade deal: "This, in turn, creates the risk of different interpretations along the way, as seen immediately after the conclusion of the US-Japan deal." While the tariff applies to most goods, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, there are exceptions. The US will keep in place a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum. Von der Leyen suggested the tariff could be replaced with a quota system; a senior administration official said EU leaders had asked that the two sides continue to talk about the issue. Von der Leyen said there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. "We will keep working to add more products to this list," von der Leyen said, adding that spirits were still under discussion. A US official said the tariff rate on commercial aircraft would remain at zero for now, and the parties would decide together what to do after a US review is completed, adding there is a "reasonably good chance" they could agree to a lower tariff than 15%. No timing was given for when that probe would be completed. The deal will be sold as a triumph for Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old US trade deficits, and has already reached similar framework accords with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has not hit its goal of "90 deals in 90 days." US officials said the EU had agreed to lower non-tariff barriers for automobiles and some agricultural products, though EU officials suggested the details of those standards were still under discussion. "Remember, their economy is $US20 trillion ... they are five times bigger than Japan," a senior US official told reporters during a briefing. "So the opportunity of opening their market is enormous for our farmers, our fishermen, our ranchers, all our industrial products, all our businesses." Trump has periodically railed against the EU, saying it was "formed to screw the United States" on trade. He has fumed for years about the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $US235 billion, according to US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump has argued that his tariffs are bringing in "hundreds of billions of dollars" in revenues for the US while dismissing warnings from economists about the risk of inflation. On July 12, Trump threatened to apply a 30% tariff on imports from the EU starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. The EU had prepared countertariffs on 93 billion euros ($US109 billion) of US goods in the event a deal to avoid the tariffs could not be struck.
