Marketing of Genetically Modified Foods

The health risks of genetically modified foods have been a subject of controversy for many years, resulting in nations taking varying stances on marketing these foods to the general public. Europe as a whole has taken a very strict attitude towards marketing these foods; arguing that “the consumer [has a] right to information and labelling as a tool for making an informed choice.” They have required that all foods which “consist of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) or contain GMO, [and] products derived from GMO but no longer containing GMO” be labelled, a law which has been in effect since 1997. This approach of completely informing the customer on the presence of GMO in foods varies greatly with the North American policies on the marketing of GM foods.

When looking at Canada’s policy in particular, there are several significant differences which the average consumer should be aware of. Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are the two organizations responsible for the food labelling policies in Canada. GM foods in Canada only require mandatory labelling if “there is a health or safety concern from allergens or a significant nutrient or compositional change [to the food, identified by] Health Canada.” This method of marketing GM foods to the general public differs greatly from that of the European-wide policy. Canadians, regardless of whether or not they intend on purchasing GM foods, will be uncertain of the presence of GMO due to the selective labelling that the current policy allows for. Another cause for concern with Canada’s current policy is the possibility of error when determining whether a certain GMO is hazardous to our health.

The European policy of fully informing the consumer regardless of associated health risks is honest and ethical, providing the customer with all the information they need to make an informed decision. The Canadian policy, though intended to look out for the health of the general public, does not provide the consumer with the information they need to make their preferred purchase and could be perceived as unethical depending on one’s stance on GMO’s.