A Review of National Labeling Laws and Their Observed Effects

In recent years, an increasing number of countries have adopted labeling policies for genetically modified (GM) food. The first labeling policies were introduced by the European Union (EU) in 1997, but since then many other countries, including all developed countries, have adopted some type of labeling policy for GM food. However, these labeling policies differ widely in their nature, scope, coverage, exceptions, and their degree of enforcement. Consequently, the observed effects of these policies on consumer choice, consumer information, food marketing, and international trade also vary significantly. India recently decided to consider introducing mandatory labeling requirements for GM food. On March 10, 2006, the Central Government of India, after consultation with the Central Committee for Food Standards, published two draft rules to amend the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules (1955), introducing labeling and approval requirements for GM food and the products derived thereof. Draft rule 37E Labeling of Genetically Modified Food requires that all primary or processed foods, food ingredients, or food additives derived from a GM food be labeled accordingly, and that imported GM foods indicate the status of approval in the country of origin (see Appendix for the detailed rule). Given that this draft labeling rule is being proposed, and at a time when many other developing countries are planning to introduce GM food labeling laws, it is informative to examine how other countries have addressed the issue and where this rule would place India compared to these other countries. In this paper, we provide an updated review of the different national labeling regulations of GM food; we discuss their economic effects and examine the implementation issues associated with these regulations. We also analyze the international harmonization efforts regarding the labeling of GM food and GM food shipments. Lastly, we place the Indian draft rule in this context, using lessons from international observations.