The European Parliament’s Environment Committee has affirmed its earlier vote to prohibit foods containing nanomaterials being sold in Europe until they undergo validated new risk assessment, are proven safe, are approved by ethical and environmental assessment and face mandatory labelling on products.
Novel Foods: Risk Assessment for Nano-Foods
Source:European Parliament
The European Union (EU) Parliament’s Environment Committee voted on May 4, 2010, that food produced using nanotechnology should be excluded from the EU’s list of novel foods – foods not on the market before May 1997 – thereby prohibiting foods containing nanomaterials from being sold on the EU market. Foods produced using nanotechnology should undergo specific risk assessment, with possible health effects determined, before being put on the European market. According to the European Commission, there are currently no nano-foods on the EU market, but some of the world’s largest manufacturers of food – including European companies – are researching nanotechnology for food applications.
According to Kartika Liotard, a Dutch member of the left-leaning Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), “…we have insisted that no food products made by nanotechnology or containing nanoparticles will be put on the market unless they have undergone a validated risk assessment and are proven to be safe.” A vote in plenary is scheduled for July.
