Heath Canada did NOT announce deregulation of new GM foods yesterday as planned.
Why not? Maybe there was a technical glitch in their launch, maybe they are adjusting their public relations messages after all your calls to the Minister of Health, or your actions slowed or stopped Health Canada’s plans. On Tuesday, the Minister’s office was flooded with calls from concerned Canadians and over 500 people also emailed him that day. Many of you also emailed your new MP. Thank you for your important actions. Please add more action to strengthen the public’s voice.
By the time you get this email, this news could be different: Health Canada could announce its final changes at any time. Even if this is the case, your letters and calls to the Minister of Health are still needed and will make a difference. Click here to send the new letter to the Minister of Health today from www.cban.ca/NoExemptions – Cliquez ici pour l’action en français.
Call the Minister’s office today: Leave a message today for The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, in Ottawa at 613-992-8865. Tell him to stop Health Canada from making changes to the regulation of new gene-edited genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) foods. Health Canada wants to let many new gene-edited GMOs enter our food system without assessing their risks – Health Canada will let companies assess the safety risks of their own products, with no government oversight and no transparency.
Tell the Minister:
- You want our public regulators at Health Canada to do their job and make sure all gene-edited foods are safe. You don’t trust corporate GM food safety assessments.
- You want the government to provide transparency for Canadians, not let unregulated gene-edited GM foods onto the market without any notification to the government and public.
For updates check www.cban.ca/NoExemptions
Other Actions
Members of Parliament are beginning to hear from their constituents. Please add your voice. Email the CBAN briefing to your Member of Parliament – Click here for three easy steps to take this action.
For more info and updates see www.cban.ca/NoExemptions
Background
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are proposing to exempt many new genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) foods and plants from government safety assessments and government oversight.
The departments have just concluded public consultations on proposals to exempt genetically engineered plants that have no foreign DNA – many of which would be produced through the new genetic engineering techniques of genome editing, also called gene editing – from regulation. Instead, product developers would determine the food safety and environmental risk of their own genetically modified organisms (GMOs), without any government oversight.
The proposals would mean unregulated, possibly some unreported, genetically engineered gene-edited foods and seeds on the market.
- Health Canada and the CFIA are proposing to surrender their regulatory authority over many new genetically engineered foods and seeds.
- Health Canada and the CFIA would have no ability to require information from product developers about these unregulated GMOs – they could be released without any reporting to the government.
- There is an inherent conflict of interest in product developers determining if regulations apply to their own products, and in determining their safety.
- All products of genetic engineering, including those with no foreign DNA (produced through the new genetic engineering techniques of gene editing) should be subject to government safety assessments.
- The proposals do not reflect the scientific findings which show that gene editing can result in a range of possible unintended effects that could impact food and environmental safety.
- The government would be asking Canadians to accept corporate GMO safety assurances: to accept unseen corporate safety assessments and corporate science, without any government checks.
- Canadians rely on Health Canada and the CFIA to be independent regulators of genetically engineered products, to ensure food and environmental safety.
- Implementing the proposed guidance would undermine public trust.
For more info and updates see www.cban.ca/NoExemptions