UN commission sets guidelines for GMOs

from the political-science dept.
An article from United Press International ("World guidelines set up for genetically modified food", by J. Zarocostas, 6 July 2001) reports officials from 165 countries agreed during a meeting in Geneva of the international food standards organization on the first formal set of global guidelines for risk assessment of foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The commission concluded that GMOs foods should be tested and approved before they enter the market and stressed in particular should be tested for their potential to cause allergic reactions. However, the meeting failed to reach an accord on the contentious issue of GMO labeling because of continued differences between major members such as the European Union and the United States.