Thai health authority urged to protect consumers from GMOs products

BANGKOK, December 18 (TNA) - Consumer networks have demanded that the Thai Ministry of Public Health improve labels of goods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to upgrade the country's consumer protection level. Paiboon Chuangthong, who heads an academic network for consumer protection, in his capacity as a member of the Independent Organization of Consumer Protection (IOCP), and Saree Ongsomwang, Secretary-General of the Foundation for Consumers (FC), led representatives of nearly 160 local consumer protection networks, to submit a letter to the secretaries of Thailand's Public Health Minister and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to demand for the upgrade of the country's consumer protection level and food safety from GMOs techniques. Saree said the demands include the imposition of a clear "triangle" label to notify consumers of all products with GMOs ingredients or elements, the permission for using the label of "Free from GMOs" on products with no GMOs ingredients or elements certified by a concerned government agency and the regular inspection of certified products with and without GMOs labels on market shelves in order to strictly evaluate their safety and impacts on people's health and the environment. In response, Dr. Kittisak Klabdee, Secretary of Thai Public Health Minister Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, admitted that substances with GMOs have been in Thailand for many years without any seriously-legal control. However, Dr. Kittisak revealed that Thailand's FDA has already required a clear label for some products with GMOs, namely corn and soybean. Dr. Kittisak anticipated that the demands of the local consumer protection networks would be raised at the upcoming FDA meeting for further consideration of appropriate approaches for Thailand, which should take 3-6 months before there would be the issuance of a Public Health Ministry Announcement on new regulations on GMOs products sold in the country, the move of which must be cooperated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives mainly for the sake of safety of consumers. (TNA)