Food Surveillance 2007

Few infractions of labelling requirements found in Germany

(16 October 2008) In Germany, consumers can find only very few food products on the shelves that are required to have "with gene technology" labelling. That was the conclusion reached by monitoring authorities throughout the German states. In food products containing soy, however, very minute traces of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were more frequently found. In 2007, every fourth soy food product tested "GMO-positive". There were 28 infractions of the labelling laws confirmed nationwide.

Every year several thousand food products undergo testing. Examiners check to see if any traces of GMOs – mostly GM soy or GM corn – can be found. Even if the results differ each year per product or per German state, one trend is clear: the regulations for gene-technology labelling are conformed with for the most part. The number of infractions is very low. In 2007, 22 food products containing soy and six containing corn were found with GMOs that should have been labelled as such. These products were removed from the shelves.

The percentage of soy food product samples testing GMO-positive has risen levelling out during the past three years at around 25 percent. Normally, only very small traces of GM soybeans are detected. The values measured remain under the 0.9 percent threshold and are often closer to 0.1 percent.

Corn product samples testing GMO-positive are on the decline. In the past, examiners found at most nine percent of all samples with minute traces of GM corn. In 2007, it was only four percent. Six of those corn products tested, however, exceeded the maximum allowed limit. Hence, infractions in 2007 were somewhat higher than in the past when only one or two were found.

See also on GMO Compass:

• Labelling of GMO Products: Freedom of Choice for Consumers