Korean food makers have decided to import a total of 1.2 million tons
of genetically modified corn by the end of this year, including the 57,000
tons they imported on May 1.
Until now, food producers have used unmodified corn as key ingredients
to make starch and starch sugar, which are used to create the sweet flavors
in cookies and soft drinks. But from now on, they are going to use GMO corn.
As a result, supermarket shelves will be piled high with products such as
cookies, bread, soft drinks and ice cream that contain primary ingredients
made from GMO crops, which are still controversial for their safety.



This is something parents are extremely concerned about. Environmental
groups said they will boycott products made by food makers using GMO crops.



Food makers have little choice but to expand imports of GMO corn.
Prices of regular corn, 99 percent of which Korea imports, have risen
threefold over the past two years, from US$150 to $450 (US$1=W1,012) per ton
and they are also hard to come by nowadays. Since they were developed in
1996, GMO crops have yet to show problems.



Around the world, 23 countries cultivate GMO crops. A total of 21
different crops and 107 different items have received government approval in
various countries. Out of total global output, 67 percent of beans are
genetically modified versions, while 25 percent of corn is GMO. Since we
brought in GMO corn for animal feed back in 1996, Korean food makers use GMO
corn and beans to make soy sauce and bean curd. But there have been no
reports of problems from consumers.



The problem is that our food safety rules do not require makers to
clearly label whether a product has been made using GMO crops. They are only
required to specify the five major ingredients on labels, creating instances
where the use of GMO crops is not specified.



And for processed food products such as cookies, soft drinks, soy
sauce and cooking oil, there is no requirement to specify usage of GMO crops
on labels. They say this is because heating during the process of purifying
starch sugar destroys DNA, making it impossible to detect GMO ingredients.



But in Europe , food makers are required to specify the use of GMO
crops on all food products. Like Korea , Japan has no regulation requiring
food makers to specify the use of GMO crops in making cookies, soy sauce and
other products, but most of them voluntarily make this information known.



Consumers have the right to know whether GMO crops were used in the
food they eat. It is also the right of consumers to decide whether they will
or will not buy food products made using GMO crops.



It would be advisable for the government to ease worries by requiring
the specification of GMO crops in the labels of food products. If not, GMO
fears may spread like wildfire, and in the wrong direction -- just the way
it happened with American beef amid fears of mad cow disease.


[english.chosun.com]