Misleading claims on food labels that soy-based products contained no GM ingredients have been found in a survey by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
The survey of foodstuffs for the presence of genetically modified (GM) soy was carried out by the FSAI to determine the level of GM content in dried soy products, soy substitutes for dairy products and soy infant formulae to ensure the industry was adhering to food labelling regulations.
A total of 37 samples were tested. Of these, 18 were found to have GM ingredients derived from an EU-authorised GM soybean under the threshold of 1 per cent which triggers mandatory GM labelling.
However, six of the 18 samples which tested positive for GM ingredients were mislabelled; five indicated they contained no GM ingredients, and one was labelled as organic.
Under current European legislation, for a food to be labelled as organic or GM-free it must not contain any GM ingredients.
This is the second in a series of surveys by the FSAI, and products were all bought "off the shelf" by the FSAI in a number of health shops and supermarkets.
Dr Patrick O'Mahony, chief specialist in biotechnologyat the FSAI, said no known health implications arose from the presence of the GM ingredients identified in these products. This was more an issue of enabling consumers to be informed before they made a purchase should they choose not to buy GM foods.
Dr O'Mahony said EU legislation governing the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs was clear in its stipulation that food labels must not mislead the public on the composition or production methods of a food, or make false claims as to the properties of a food.
"In order for consumers to make an informed choice about the food they buy, they must be provided with the appropriate information" he said. "We have addressed our concern with the manufacturers found to have misleading labelling, and they are correcting their labelling as appropriate for optimum consumer information."
The FSAI had contacted the retailers, suppliers and manufacturers whose products were included in the survey to inform them of the results and to ensure their compliance with labelling regulations.
"If industry wants to benefit from any marketing advantages derived from labelling their produce as GM-free or organic, then it is obliged to ensure that these foods are indeed free of GM ingredients. The implications are that either industry spends more on expensive GM analysis or it desists from making claims on its products that it is unable to justify," Dr O'Mahony said.
Due to the proliferation of GMOs worldwide and the increasingly global nature of the food supply, it was becoming more difficult for industry to guarantee that certain foods were not made from GM soy or GM maize.
By carrying out regular surveys of the food supply for GM ingredients, the FSAI assesses the level of compliance with the labelling regulations within the industry and takes action if necessary.
Dr O'Mahony said the survey and others planned for the future constituted part of the FSAI's duty to ensure that only EU-licensed GM foods were available in Ireland and that such food displayed the appropriate labelling.
The products named as having misleading labels were Granose soya cream, which had 0.1 per cent ingredients and claimed it was produced from non-GM soybeans; Provamel soya cream and chocolate-flavoured soya dessert; Lecithin granules; and Soya flour.
Organic Soya flour claimed to be organic but had 0.1 per cent GM ingredient.