Lee Jae-myung: "Will Prevent GMO Foods from Hiding Their Identity and Reaching Consumers' Tables"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Nohoon] While Gyeonggi Province is implementing the Non-GMO food certification and management project for the first time in the nation, Governor Lee Jae-myung said, "At the very least, we will prevent GMO foods from hiding their identity and appearing on consumers' tables."

On the 7th, Governor Lee held a Non-GMO food certification and management consultation meeting at the Provincial Office with Gyeonggi Provincial Councilor Wang Seong-ok, Professor Park Cheon-seok from Kyung Hee University's Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Jang Ha-na, Secretary General of Politics-Doing Moms, Hong Jin-i, CEO of Jandari Village Community Agricultural Corporation, Lee Kyung-a, Representative of Seongnam Consumer Citizen Coalition, and Choi Sang-a, CEO of Keyrikon Co., Ltd.

This event was organized to introduce Gyeonggi Province's Non-GMO certification and management project and to discuss Gyeonggi Province's role in securing food that residents can eat with confidence.

Governor Lee said, "Food safety is a more important value than anything else, but currently there is no way to know which foods have been genetically modified," adding that "from a national perspective, in order to protect consumers, maintain fair market competition, and protect the competitiveness of domestic agriculture, it is natural that products using GMO (genetically modified agricultural and marine products) be labeled as such, allowing consumers to make choices."

Governor Lee continued, "The National Assembly and relevant ministries must proactively institutionalize mandatory GMO labeling. While Gyeonggi Province cannot mandate labeling, we have created an ordinance to at least show a Non-GMO label indicating that GMO is not being used," adding, "Although we may not be able to make GMO foods disappear from shelves, we will at least prevent them from hiding their identity and appearing on consumers' tables."

Provincial Councilor Wang Seong-ok said, "When creating the ordinance, due to the absence of higher-level law, we could not realize a complete labeling system, but it has great significance that Gyeonggi Province started this way," pointing out that "GMO food labeling not only expands consumer choice but is a matter of protecting health, however, the path is not smooth because it conflicts with massive agricultural capital."

Jang Ha-na, Secretary General of Politics-Doing Moms, said, "Since there is no labeling system at all, I wonder if we are paying more than cost price for soy sauce, soybean paste, and oils that we eat, and whether this is for corporations," emphasizing that "as Gyeonggi Province implements the Non-GMO certification system, Hanam is providing subsidy for the price difference when schools use certified Non-GMO food for school meals. It is important that such products be introduced into school meal programs in this way."

Hong Jin-i, CEO of Jandari Village Community Agricultural Corporation, said, "As a village enterprise manufacturing soy milk and tofu with domestic soybeans, we were pleased to apply when we heard that a certification system was established in Gyeonggi Province," adding that "through this, we were able to build trust with consumers."

Professor Park Cheon-seok from Kyung Hee University advised, "While certification is a quite important part, post-management is crucial," noting that "the success of the system will be determined by how it is managed after receiving certification."

Gyeonggi Province has been implementing the Non-GMO certification system for the first time in the nation since July to protect residents' right to know and enable proper food choices.

To this end, Gyeonggi Province enacted the 'Ordinance on Certification and Management of Non-GMO Foods of Gyeonggi Province' in May, and is issuing certification certificates through collection and inspection to food manufacturing and processing companies that produce or distribute and sell food products in Gyeonggi Province and wish to obtain Non-GMO certification, as well as conducting post-management.

To date, 12 product types from three food manufacturing and processing companies have received the Non-GMO certification mark, including tofu, cheonggukjang powder, and soybean powder made from soybeans.