Health PlaNET

Date: July 30, 1999
Time: 11:45 am

Mandatory labelling sought for genetically-modified foods

The Sydney Morning Herald reports today that the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the Australian Consumers Association (ACA) are joining forces to demand that labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods be made mandatory. Dr. Sandra Hacker, vice-president of the AMA, said "anything short of full labelling won't do. There are so many ethical and other issues for consumers to consider that they need full labelling."

Professor Stephen Leeder, former president of the PHAA said GM food had been introduced "without regard for full and independent safety evaluation, or full and adequate public consultation or rigorous assessment of health impacts."

The labelling issue will be decided next Tuesday at a meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Council.

In a related story, the Sierra Club of Canada set up pickets at stores in 7 communities across Canada on July 9 to raise awareness of genetically engineered foods. The group targeted grocery stores in St. John's, Halifax, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Charlottetown and Vancouver. Canadians are demanding that the largest grocery chains in the country either commit to removing all genetically engineered foods from their shelves or, at the very least, to ensuring that they are labelled.

FDA's role limited in prescribing drug use

The Washington Post reported yesterday that a federal judge in the US has ruled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot stop the pharmaceutical industry from encouraging physicians to use medications for unapproved purposes. Pharmaceutical companies will now be able to conduct seminars for physicians and distribute information to them about a drug as long as the FDA has approved it for some purpose. The judge ruled unconstitutional portions of last year's FDA Modernization Act that regulate the pharmaceutical industry's ability to distribute information on off-label drug applications.

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