Alleged GM ingredients in food under probe

摘要：15日，农业部就绿色和平组织前日所称在北京、上海、广州三地市场抽检的格力高和麦德龙公司的食品中，发现5个样品含有转基因成分一事，介入调查。农业部转基因办副主任邹萍表示，上市的转基因农产品必须获得农业部颁发的农业转基因生物安全证书，列入标识目录内的转基因生物销售时必须进行标识。目前，农业部正在组织有关人员依法进行调查和检测，核实是否含有未经农业部批准的转基因生物原料。

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said on Friday that it is investigating allegations that food products of two foreign firms contain genetically-modified (GM) ingredients.

"We will find out whether the two firms have used GM ingredients that are not approved by the ministry in their food products, and will deal with the issue based on the results," said Zou Ping, deputy director of the GM security office with the MOA.

Greenpeace said on Thursday that GM ingredients were detected in four snacks made by Japan's Ezaki Glico Co. and one by Germany's Metro Group, according to tests on 21 products sampled in supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

GM agricultural products must obtain a license from the MOA and have identification labels on their packages before they can be sold on the Chinese market, according to Zou.

Yet, there are no laws to restrict GM ingredients in biscuits, cookies and other snacks at present in China, as noted by Greenpeace.

Greenpeace accused the Japanese confectioner and the German retail giant of "double standards" in supplying Chinese consumers with food containing genetically-modified ingredients, while both have promised to stop using GM ingredients in the products sold in their own countries.