Senate Committee approves end of identification seal for transgenic products. Review!

In addition to labeling, changing the criteria for identifying transgenics is a risk to the transparency of information to consumers. Online public consultation is available

Transgenic food with label

The end of mandatory labeling with information about the presence of GMOs in food products was approved on Tuesday (17) by the Environment Commission (CMA). The text (PLC 34/2015) determines the removal of the yellow triangle with the letter "T", which today must be placed on the packaging of transgenic foods.

  • Click here and give your opinion about the end of the identification seal for transgenic products!

Aside from the controversy surrounding the labeling of products, the bill has a very controversial issue embedded in it, something that the simple discussion about the removal of the yellow triangle with the letter "T" can hide. What the bill establishes is that the analysis of the presence or not of the transgenic would be made only in the final product, already processed, ready. A laboratory analysis should be carried out to identify whether or not there are characteristics of transgenicity.

Currently, this analysis is carried out on raw materials. For example, if the raw material of soy oil is transgenic soy, the labeling must automatically show this indication. The problem that the new law advocates, regarding the laboratory analysis of the final product, something that the bill calls "specific analysis", is that in most foods that contain GMOs, usually ultra-processed foods, it is not possible to identify the presence of transgenic in the final analysis, that is, the analysis made from the finished product.

That is, in the laboratory analysis of a final product, such as soybean oil, the result regarding the presence of transgenics will be negative, which will give the product the right to display on its label the information that it does not contain transgenics, when, in the reality, contains. In this sense, the bill would violate the constitutional right of citizens to have adequate information about the product they consume, as there is a risk of informing the consumer about the absence of transgenics, as if this were total, when in reality there may be the incidence of transgenicity throughout the product manufacturing stages.

Evolution in the Senate

The processing of the bill in the Senate had its first steps in the CCT (Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, Communication and Information Technology) in 2015, where, after several manifestations against the bill by civil society, the negative opinion of the rapporteur was approved. , senator Randolfe Rodrigues (REDE - AP), constituting an opinion for the rejection of the project by the CCT. As of 2016, the project passed through the CRA (Commission for Agriculture and Agrarian Reform) and under the reporting of Cidinho Santos (PR-MT) had the opinion of this senator in favor of the project approved by the CRA in 2017.

In that year, after referral to the CAS (Social Affairs Committee), Senator Vanessa Graziottin - (PCdoB - AM) was the rapporteur, whose opinion contrary to the project was approved by the CAS in March 2018, with a separate vote in favor of the consigned project by senator Cidinho Santos (PR-MT). The processing by the CMA (Environment Commission) was once again reported to by Senator Cidinho Santos (PR-MT), who was successful in approving his favorable opinion to the project in April 2018. . It is possible to follow the progress of the bill on its respective page in the Senate.

The project's rapporteur at CRA and CMA, senator Cidinho Santos (PR-MT), understands that the symbology used in Brazil can be misinterpreted, both by consumers and by importing sectors. He argues that a rigorous scientific analysis of GMOs is the best way to get rid of the fear surrounding them.

The senator argues that transgenic foods have been a reality for over 15 years and there are still no records that their ingestion causes direct damage to human health. Even without the identification seal with the "T", the bill says that products with a quantity greater than 1% of transgenics must still be identified through expressions such as “(product name) transgenic” or “contains (name ingredient) transgenic”, legibly on the label . GMO-free products would be free to put this information on their packaging, as long as the information is proven through specific technical analysis of the final product.

For more information about the rapporteur, some records about his parliamentary activity can be checked on the Ranking of Politicians website, such as his attendance, expenses, legal proceedings, among other important aspects associated with his legislative relevance.

Understand the bill that is being processed in the Senate:

With this, according to the senator's understanding, the consumer's right to information is preserved. The warning on the label, however, can be given along with the list of ingredients present in the products, which is usually under the table with nutritional information, in small print.

In doubt about what transgenic foods are? Check out the video:

The bill is now going to be analyzed by the Transparency, Inspection and Control Commission (CTFC) - before becoming laws, legislative projects must be approved by several Senate committees and there is always an open public consultation for voting.
  • Click here and give your opinion about the end of the identification seal for transgenic products!

Learn more about the issue of transgenic food labeling:



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