Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición
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Labelling genetically modified food and feed
Sphere of implementation
This applies to food that will be supplied to the end consumer or collectives (restaurants, hospitals, etc.) and which is a genetically modified food, or either this or its ingredients are produced from genetically modified organisms.
It does not apply to food containing material which, in turn, contains or consists of genetically modified organisms, or has been produced from organisms, provided that the content of the material does not exceed 0.9% of the ingredients of the food, each taken individually, or of food consisting of a single ingredient, and on condition that this presence is accidental or technically unavoidable.
To decide whether the presence of this material is accidental or technically unavoidable, operators must provide proof to the competent authorities showing to their satisfaction that appropriate measures have been taken to prevent the presence of the material.
Requirements
1. The must comply with the general standards on labelling food products and the following specific requirements:
- If the food consists of more than one ingredient, it appears in brackets on the list of ingredients, immediately after the ingredient in question: "genetically modified" or "produced from [genetically modified]
- If the ingredient is designated by the name of category, the list states "Contains (name of organism) genetically modified" or "contains (name of ingredient) produced from (name of organism) genetically modified".
- If there id no list of ingredients, the label will clearly show the text "genetically modified" or "produced from name of organism) genetically modified".
Examples:
"Breakfast cereals", if one of the ingredients is genetically modified maize, the list of ingredients on the label will show: "maize flour (produced from genetically modified maize).
"Chocolate biscuit" when the chocolate contains genetically modified soya lecithin, the label states: "chocolate (contains lecithin produced from genetically modified soya)".
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