Vietnam to Label GM Foods

GM food labeling in Vietnam was recently discussed in a Seminar on Biotechnology in Ho Chi Minh City. As genetically modified foods and crops such as soybeans, corn and other crops will enter Vietnam markets soon, the need to develop a GM food labeling law was recognized. Authorities are drafting a decree that foods containing more than 5% GM should be labeled as biotech.

At the seminar, Professor Paul Teng, dean of Graduate Programs and Research Office of Singapore's Nangyang Technical University, cautioned that mandatory labeling of GM foods would increase production cost by 12% and thereby lead to an increase of 10% in the product price. He also stressed that the most important thing in labeling is to provide customers with the options for products and product information, not for safety reasons because all GM foods must be approved for sale by regulatory agencies after undergoing risk assessments.

See the article at http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/09/870083/ For more information on biotechnology in Vietnam, contact Ngoc Nguyen Bich of Agbiotech Viet at:nbngoc78@yahoo.com