ID :
73496
Mon, 08/03/2009 - 14:03
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/73496
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Safety of food products
Almaty, August 03, 2009 (Khabar) - National center of bio technologies of Kazakhstan creates genetically-modified agricultural cultures: rice, soya and cotton-plant. Researches are held according to republican program «Creation and control of genetically-modified products». realization of this program is at the early stage and it is unknown so far how foreign food products will be controlled. According to the law on safety of food products, Kazakhstani citizens must know about if the product genetically-modified or not. And it is almost impossible to distinguish such products from usual ones. Currently our markets are full with genetically-modified vegetables, fruits, canned goods, soy sauces etc. Such products appear as a result of work of scientists, they put gene of some organism into a cell of plant. This allows to increase crop capacity and period of storage of food and make them resistible to pests and unfavorable conditions. For example, modified potato will be not afraid of Colorado bee and genetically changed tomatoes will not spoil because of frost. Scientists of the whole world dispute about the harm and use of these products while millions of people eat them. According to the law on safety of food products, exporters must mark genetically-modified products in order Kazakhstanis know what they buy. But there are very few marked products in our country. It is written on most of products that «Product doesn’t contain genetically-modified components».
Svetlana Savchenko, president of National League of Kazakhstan’s Consumers:
- Actually nobody controls this issue, consumers just must rely on themselves. And they are not professionals and fail to comprehend if the product contains genetically-modified components or not.
There are specialized labs in Academy of Food and people can find out about availability of genetically-modified components there. Mainly entrepreneurs that bring food products from foreign countries, address such labs. Specialists of Academy of Food are guided by the European standards of food marking and put a special label if the product exceeds over 0,9% of transgenic components. Kazakhstan has no exact standards and importers can’t be blamed for violation of law on safety of food products. That’s why only documents are controlled so far.
Natalya Klipina, employee of Kazakh Academy of Food:
- All imported products and their documents are checked up at the customs office in order everything is OK. And if documents say «no genetically-modified components», but if it not written on the label, firm undertakes to write this on products.
Scientists make genetically modified cotton-plant in this lab of Institute of biology and biotechnologies of plants under the National center of bio technologies. Scientists say the plant will be steady to low temperature and pests and with high yield. One of the tasks of specialists is to elaborate suggestions on control of transgenic products.
Yerlan Turuspekov, deputy director on science of Institute of biology and biotechnologies of plants:
- All structures that are connected with science and bio technologies, must help our inspecting organs: republican sanitation and epidemiologic station and Institute of Food in order to monitor in a proper way genetically-modified products, which are imported into our market.
In the whole world some people support genetically-modified products and the others protest them. Those who are against, say genetically-modified products weaken immunity and cause allergy and oncologic diseases. But there is not confirming of this so far. And the contrary facts were not also proved. Any case, every consumer has a right to know if product contains genetically-modified components or not and it is his choice to buy or not transgenic product or to refrain from it.
Svetlana Savchenko, president of National League of Kazakhstan’s Consumers:
- Actually nobody controls this issue, consumers just must rely on themselves. And they are not professionals and fail to comprehend if the product contains genetically-modified components or not.
There are specialized labs in Academy of Food and people can find out about availability of genetically-modified components there. Mainly entrepreneurs that bring food products from foreign countries, address such labs. Specialists of Academy of Food are guided by the European standards of food marking and put a special label if the product exceeds over 0,9% of transgenic components. Kazakhstan has no exact standards and importers can’t be blamed for violation of law on safety of food products. That’s why only documents are controlled so far.
Natalya Klipina, employee of Kazakh Academy of Food:
- All imported products and their documents are checked up at the customs office in order everything is OK. And if documents say «no genetically-modified components», but if it not written on the label, firm undertakes to write this on products.
Scientists make genetically modified cotton-plant in this lab of Institute of biology and biotechnologies of plants under the National center of bio technologies. Scientists say the plant will be steady to low temperature and pests and with high yield. One of the tasks of specialists is to elaborate suggestions on control of transgenic products.
Yerlan Turuspekov, deputy director on science of Institute of biology and biotechnologies of plants:
- All structures that are connected with science and bio technologies, must help our inspecting organs: republican sanitation and epidemiologic station and Institute of Food in order to monitor in a proper way genetically-modified products, which are imported into our market.
In the whole world some people support genetically-modified products and the others protest them. Those who are against, say genetically-modified products weaken immunity and cause allergy and oncologic diseases. But there is not confirming of this so far. And the contrary facts were not also proved. Any case, every consumer has a right to know if product contains genetically-modified components or not and it is his choice to buy or not transgenic product or to refrain from it.
