Re: Gene Technology Bill

To: 

New Zealand's export reputation for quality organic, non-GMO food is growing worldwide.

As the responsible Memebers of Parliament you represent New Zealand to the world and must safeguard our environment, farmers livelihoods, and care of nature that supports our exports and nation. Our environment, health and export potential is now threatened by the Gene Technology Bill being drafted to relax GE regulations. Important issues are to be excluded from the Bill:

•   no precautionary principle - to protect Nature
•   no regional or district council protection for Non-GMO producers
•   no liability on users of GE to ensure they manage risks
•   no supply chain segregation devoted to separation and identity preservation
•   no labelling of exempted GE organisms to preserve farmer and consumer choice
•   no specified standard for Ethics or to prevent animal cruelty
•   no economic consideration of the value of Non-GMO exports (CAGR +12%))

These exclusions endanger New Zealand's environment, exports, farmers livelihoods and the public interest.

As the senior Ministers of Government we ask that you consider these issues and vote against the second reading of the Gene Technology Bill

Yours sincerely,

Re: Second Call for submission: P1055 Definitions for gene technology and new breeding techniques

Email to: submissions@foodstandards.gov.au I object to the FSANZ proposal P1055 to exempt gene edited and GM food processes and ingredients from notification, assessment, regulation, and labelling. 

I therefore strongly insist on -

• Rigorous Regulation of all food ingredients derived from NBTs (New Breeding Techniques) and other biotechnologies (GM and gene edited), entering the human food supply.  

• My right to be fully informed and to choose what my family eats - for cultural and personal reasons - through the full labelling of all Gene Edited and GM foods, whole foods, food ingredients, processing aids, additives, flavours, colours, etc; 

• Notification, case-by-case assessment of all Gene Edited foods, ingredients, and production processes used in NBTs, without the exemptions that P1055 proposes. with the  claims that refining and ultra-processing remove all foreign DNA and proteins;

• Rigorous and precautionary assessment of all materials and processes used in food fermentations to produce artificial meat, simulated milk and all other synthetic food-like substances that industry may in future propose;

• Post market assessment and ongoing monitoring of all NBT-derived food stuffs that may enter the food supply. Unregulated, exempted NBT developed foods do not have a history of healthy dietary safety that conventional foods do;

• Putting the public interest, the right to know, ahead of trade and industry issues, when the costs and benefits of biotech food manufacturing methods and products are assessed;

• Requiring the food industry to submit published, peer reviewed, and independent scientific evidence that all NBTs used to produce food stuffs are, in the short and long term, efficacious for the safety, health, and wellbeing of the all consumers;

• All food produce, products and supplies regulated and protected from the unlabelled and unwelcome intrusion of whole and ultra-processed foods, made using NBTs and other new food production methods that may in future be developed.

Date:

Name

Address

I request the 'clock be stopped' on application A1274 until robust scientific safety testing is conducted.  

Or A1274 GM Banana must be declined. 

This application does not provide adequate information relating to food safety for FSANZ experts or other submitters to consider. 

• There is no analysis of seven new proteins identified in the GM banana. There is no research on the implications of these proteins for food safety when the banana is eaten.

• The GM bananas will contain a gene for expressing antibiotic resistance. If transferred to gut bacteria this could add to problems of bacterial resistance to kanamycin-type antibiotics. 

• There is a lack of evidence on the impact of different medicines that change the survival rate of GM constructs into the gut and bloodstream of consumers. 

• There is no study of different impact for infants, children, the sick or elderly from eating the GM bananas. 

• Until there is scientific data on the any effects of the transgenes and inflammatory response in small bowel flora, villi and epithelium, in long-term studies, the GM banana must be declined. 

• FSANZ must require laboratory diagnostic tests for detection of the transgenes be made available for health professionals before any approval of the product.

• Scientific evidence on long term safety of consumption of the GM banana must be required.  

• The information provided does not give the public confidence on the effective, transparent, and accountable regulatory framework assessment.