The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is facing scrutiny over its lack of information on whether fresh food produce imported into the country over the past five years includes genetically modified (GM) varieties. The findings come from a Right To Information (RTI) investigation conducted by Down To Earth (DTE), raising questions about the safety of fruits and vegetables available in the Indian market.
The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 in India prohibits the import, manufacture, use, or sale of GM food without FSSAI approval. However, the lack of clarity and information on testing procedures for GM varieties in imported produce has led to concerns about the potential presence of such varieties in the food supply chain reports www.downtoearth.org.in.
The RTI investigation filed four queries with FSSAI between February and September, seeking information on the inclusion of GM varieties in imported fresh fruits and vegetables, tests conducted in the last five years, summary reports of tests performed, and a list of exotic fruits and vegetables imported into India with the exporting countries' names.
In response to the first query, FSSAI stated that the notification of regulations for GM foods is pending. To ensure the import of only non-GM crops, orders have been issued requiring a non-GM cum GM-free certificate to accompany imported food consignments. However, an analysis of FSSAI's orders reveals a gradual dilution of its stance on the import of GM varieties. While the initial order in August 2020 insisted on importing only non-GM food crops, subsequent orders in February 2021 allowed a tolerance limit of 1% for the adventitious presence of GMOs in imported food crops.
The responses to the other RTI queries were either "Required information is not available" or "No such information is available," indicating a lack of data or transparency on the testing of imported produce for GM varieties. This is particularly concerning as there has been a significant increase in India's fruit and vegetable imports, especially from countries like the US, Brazil, and Argentina, where large-scale cultivation of GMOs is prevalent.
The monitoring and testing of GMOs in India face significant challenges. The country lacks trained personnel and adequate infrastructure to collect samples and test for GM products at entry points. According to a 2019 study, only 2% of food-testing laboratories in India can check for the presence of GM products, highlighting the limitations in the testing infrastructure.
Experts and advocacy groups propose solutions to address these concerns. Suman Sahai, founder-chairperson of Gene Campaign, emphasizes the need for monitoring, surveillance, and mechanisms to ensure that genetically modified crops are not imported. Kavitha Kuruganti, founder of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, suggests giving import preference to nations that do not cultivate GMO varieties and testing even consignments with non-GMO certificates.