Tracing DNA -- a debate in Codex.

The international debate about food safety and biotechnology foods continues in the international food standard-setting organization -- the Codex Alimentarius. The debate could be critical to the future of this technology, as the World Trade Organization refers to the Codex in trade disputes relating to food safety.

In its Codex work Consumer Alert stresses the continued need for Codex to rely on sound scientific data and science-based risk analysis. Consumer Alert submitted two comments to the Codex Alimentarius related to food products. On October 1, 2001, CA commented on the Draft Working Principles for Risk Analysis, emphasizing that risk analysis needs to be based on sound scientific principles. The comments cautioned also about introducing the so-called "precautionary principle" into the principles for risk analysis. CA noted, "The goal of risk analysis is to provide decision makers with tools to assess the risks involved in different policy alternatives. To anticipate the decision making process by requesting that precaution should be the overriding principle of risk analysis could divert attention from existing risks to potential risks and encourage overlooking existing risks and possible risk trade-offs when new technologies and products are introduced."

In other comments to the U.S. Codex Office on October 31, CA addressed the topic of traceability of the use of modern biotechnology through the food chain. The traceability of foods derived from modern biotechnology is an issue pushed by countries that wish to introduce mandatory labeling of such foods, such as the European Union. However, the U.S. and others regard traceability requirements as an unnecessary and costly burden on retailers and consumers. Especially singling out foods produced through biotechnology appears to be based on an unsupported viewpoint that such foods are "less safe" than other foods, while there is no scientific evidence indicating that foods derived through modern biotechnology pose a greater risk than foods produced through other processes.