转基因食品标识的问题与困惑

随着转基因技术的发展与推广,转基因作物及其制成品渐渐进入人们的生活,转基因食品安全的监管显得日益重要。2001年我国出台的《农业转基因生物安全管理条例》中要求对所有的转基因食品(Genetically modified organism food,GMO food)进行标识,但没有明确需要标识的阈值。本研究介绍转基因食品标识制度,并对不同国家制度进行比较分析;从阈值计算方法和转基因成分检测技术两方面介绍阈值设计的技术基础;对阈值管理进行成本效益分析的结果表明,阈值管理会提升运行和管理成本,但不会提高消费者的支付意愿,原因主要在于消费者对转基因食品本身安全性的担忧。建议我国应加强转基因技术的研究,设置合理标识阈值,加强我国转基因食品安全管理。

Problem and confusion about GMO food labeling

With the development and the popularization of transgenic technology,genetically modified crops and their products have entered our daily lives.Genetically modified organism (GMO) food safety regulation is becoming increasingly important.In China a mandatory labeling of GMO products is required without a clear setting of threshold value according to the Regulations on Administration of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Safety,which was proposed in 2001.In this article,the GMO food labeling systems among different nations were compared and reviewed.Two technical bases for the threshold design were discussed,including threshold calculation methods and GMO detection technologies.The cost-benefit analysis of threshold setting showed that threshold setting would increase the cost of its operation and management on GMO food,but it would not increase consumers'' willingness to pay,because most consumers concerned about GMO food safety.In this review,we suggest that China should make more effort on the research of GMO technology and set up a reasonable threshold value in order to reinforce GMO food safety management.