Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations, 2022

Why in news?

• FSSAI floats draft norms for GM Foods.

About the new Regulation:

• FSSAI has come out with draft regulations for genetically modified food, proposing mandatory prior approval from the regulator to manufacture, sell and import food or ingredients produced from Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMO).
• GMO means any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.

Features of the new regulations:

• Applicability:
  • It will be applicable to food ingredients produced from GMOs that contain modified DNA as well as to food ingredients produced from GMOs that do not contain modified DNA but includes ingredients/additives/processing aids derived from GMOs
• Permission requirement:
  • No person shall manufacture, pack, store, sell, market or otherwise distribute or import any food or food ingredient produced from GMOs, except with the prior approval of the food authority
• Mandatory Labelling:
  • All food products (GMOs intended for food use and food ingredients produced from GMOs that contain modified DNA) must be labelled with the words ‘contains genetically modified organisms’ on the front.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements:

1. Manufacture and sale of food produced from Genetically-Modified Organisms require prior approval of FSSAI

2. Food ingredients produced from GMOs that contain modified DNA are prohibited in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer