Guidance note for sampling food and feed to determine the presence of genetically modified (GM) material

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is providing supplementary guidance on the sampling of GM food and feed following a European Commission Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) Mission to the UK in June 2006. The Mission was carried out with respect to the implementation of the EC Regulation on Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EC 1829/2003) and the Traceability and Labelling of Genetically Modified Organisms (EC 1830/2003). The Inspection Report of the Mission, GMO - Controls on food and feed, is available on the Commission's website.

One of the recommendations arising from the Mission was for the FSA to provide detailed guidance to officers responsible for the sampling of food and feed for the presence of GM material.

The FVO Mission suggested that there is a need for guidelines to be provided to enforcement authorities. Public Analysts have also noted that many of the samples presented for testing for the presence of GM material do not contain DNA for a number of technical reasons, thus the presence of ingredients from GMOs cannot be detected.

This guidance note is supplementary to the original guidance on the regulations, issued by FSA Scotland and the Scottish Executive in 2004, and highlights available information on sampling, and provides advice on the most appropriate samples for analysing GM material in food and feed. There has been no change to the legislation or to the responsibilities of enforcement authorities. It is not foreseen that these guidelines will necessarily increase the frequency of sampling for GM material, but that they will aim to improve effectiveness. It is the responsibility of enforcement authorities to decide on their priorities when sampling food and feed.

This consultation seeks comments from stakeholders on the draft guidance and views on what stakeholders would consider to be useful information in a guidance note on the sampling of food and feed to determine the presence of GM material. To maximise the information gathered interested parties should not limit themselves to commenting on the text that is included, but should make any other recommendations as to what should be included in the guidance note.

We have also taken this opportunity to update the two-page enforcement summary document outlining the scope of the European Union regulations for GM Food and Feed (1829/2003) and Traceability and Labelling (1830/2003) of GMOs that was published in 2004.

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

Consultation feedback questionnaire (Word)

Consultation feedback questionnaire (pdf)

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness our Information Centre at Aviation House will hold a copy of the completed consultation. The FSA will publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name. Disclosure of any other personal data would be made only upon request for the full consultation responses. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Data protection form (Word)

Data protection form (pdf)

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator by email: consultationcoordinator@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk