Precautionary principle should guide GMO food reviews, Canadian report says.

摘要

The final report of the [Canadian] Expert Panel on the Future of Food Biotechnology is discussed. Aspects considered include: panel members; recommendation for adoption of the precautionary principle for regulating GM foods; the finding of 2 different interpretations of the concept of `substantial equivalence' and views of the panel on these; criticism of the secretive nature of the Canadian government's process for reviewing GMO and food safety in general; recommendations to improve transparency of decision making processes by the Canadian regulatory agencies and a response to these recommendations by the Canadian Health Minister; government funding for regulation of biotechnology products; suggestions by critics of use of biotechnology products; support by the panel for voluntary labelling of GMO containing products; and a description of other recommendations on regulations and guidelines, the regulatory process and scientific research required. The report is available on the Royal Societyof Canada's website.