Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong, Expanding GMO Labeling… Proposing ‘Food Sanitation Act Amendment’

Published Feb 6, 2025

Tridge summary

A proposal by Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea aims to amend the country's Food Sanitation Act and Health Functional Food Act to mandate comprehensive labeling for foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Criticizing the existing labeling system for its inadequacies and potential infringement on consumer choice, the proposal seeks to extend labeling requirements to foods where GMOs are used as main ingredients, regardless of the presence of modified DNA or proteins post-processing. The bill also establishes guidelines for non-GMO food labeling and enforces penalties for labeling violations, underscoring the need for a comprehensive labeling system to ensure food safety and sovereignty in Korea.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

A bill has been proposed that requires GMO labeling for ‘genetically modified foods (GMOs)’. On the 6th, Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeongeup and Gochang, Jeollabuk-do, pictured) recently proposed the ‘Food Sanitation Act Amendment’ and ‘Health Functional Food Act Amendment’ containing such content. Korea is the world’s second largest importer of GMOs, but there are criticisms that the current GMO labeling system is inadequate. The current ‘Food Sanitation Act’ requires GMO labeling for foods or food additives manufactured or processed using agricultural, livestock, and marine products grown and raised using biotechnology. However, the labeling target is limited to GM foods that still contain genetically modified DNA or genetically modified proteins after manufacturing or processing. Rep. Yoon criticized, “The current GMO labeling system excludes foods that use genetically modified agricultural, livestock, and marine products as their main ingredients ...

Source: Nongmin