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| Sunday, 29 February 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Framework to regulate and control GM food imports by Shanika Sriyananda The first National Bio-safety Framework (NBF) will be introduced this year to regulate and control the imports of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs), which are now freely entering the country as food items and cleaning agents. The move is expected to ensure the safety of GMOs and GMFs. Prof. Athula Perera, National Project Coordinator, NBF told the Sunday Observer that there may be many kinds of imported GM food items in the local market, but the country lacks regulations to control such imports. "Due to lack of regulations, we can only guess that there are GM foods in our markets", he said. Prof. Perera said that Sri Lanka has laboratory facilities and trained staffers to check food items for GMOs, but the lack of laws was a setback. "We cannot say that all food items imported to Sri Lanka are genetically modified. Special attention should be paid to the country that exported these food items", he said. According to Prof. Perera, most genetically modified food items come from USA, Canada and Argentina and the food Sri Lanka imports from these countries may have GMOs. "We want to ensure the safety of these foods before they are released to the local market", he said adding that a database on bio-safety and bio-technology will be established soon. The NBF, which was initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources with the assistance of the United Nations Environment Program was established in 2003 to develop laws for the safe transfer, handling, use and release of any GMOs. When the NBF is completed, the Ministry plans to get public participation to promote bio-technology. Public awareness programs on bio-technology and GMOs have already been held in 12 districts. Such programs will also be held in the North-East with the support of State institutes, NGOs, societies, private sector organisations and teachers and schoolchildren. |
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