MPs from the Blue Coalition proposed amendments to the Foods Act with regard to food products containing GMOs. The Blue insist that GMOs should not be used in food for kindergartens, schools and at facilities in close proximity to such institutions. The MPs insist that any products containing GMOs should be labelled additionally and should be offered on separate shelves.
Focus News Agency discussed the issue with Vanyo Sharkov, member of the Blue Coalition.


Focus: Dr. Sharkov, last week you said the Health Ministry is not compliant with the Foods Act as it has not listed on its website all food products that are allowed for consumption but contain GMOs. What happened?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: They claim there is sufficient information about GMOs uploaded on their website. All you will find there however is a single page explaining about what GMOs are and a reference about GMOs that have been allowed for consumption by the EU. The Foods Act requires that all products containing GMOs should be listed on the Health Ministry’s website. Such a list is not available on the website. So what they came up with as an answer was that such data was not available with the Regional health protection inspectorates. The law however provides that people shall be informed and that such a list shall be available on the Ministry’s website. According to the existing legislation a commission with the Health Ministry performs control regarding GMOs and the commission has 15 members proposed by the ministries of public health, of environment of agriculture and goods and education.

Focus: Are these 15 members performing their controlling functions?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: I don’t think they don’t know each other. I think they never sat for a session. Strangely enough they all sign non-disclosure declarations. What is so confidential about GMOs?

Focus: Which foods contain GMOs most of all according to the National Laboratory for Control of Genetically Modified Foods?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: These are mostly foods that contain genetically modified soya, which is widely used for feeding stock and in the production of some meat products like frankfurters. All these are in the list of the regional health protection inspectorates for the period 2004 - 2009 including foods containing over 2% of GMOs. According to the EU Directive contents of under 0.9% is considered low enough as not to be displayed on the packaging.

Focus: So the rest of the products containing GMOs must be displayed?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: Absolutely. But you won’t find a single product with packaging informing of any GMO contents whatsoever. This is why we proposed some amendments to the foods Act.

Focus: Are you receiving any support from other parliamentary groups?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: One of my colleagues said that the amendments proposed were in compliance with the EU directives so we might get support.

Focus: You said there are a lot of foods containing over 2% of GMOs. How dangerous is this?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: GMOs are a relatively recent scientific invention and it is too early to make conclusions regarding their effect on the human health. Two facts however are certain. One is that a group of Austrian scientists conducted an experiment with two groups of mice and the group that was fed on genetically modified corn in the course of several offspring cycles suffered more malformations and stillborn animals. This is a fact. Another fact is that US scientists found out that children consuming milk from cows fed on genetically modified fodder, suffered allergic reactions and rashes. The said product was banned in the USA. Here we have been groping.

Focus: What is the safety level in terms of GMO contents in foods?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: Well the EU has adopted the 0.9% level as insubstantial contents. However another important issue is about the benefits of GMOs.


Focus: What are the benefits?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: It has been said that GMOs will help the mankind to provide enough food and cope with hunger. Now even the Americans no longer claim GMOs help raise crops.

Focus: Is the Bulgaria market in danger of being flooded by GMOs?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: I think the Bulgarian market has already been flooded by such products. There is a very stiff procedure for obtaining a license to trade with products containing GMOs. The procedure involves EU compliance issued by the European Commission. The question is how many Bulgarian manufacturers of frankfurters have obtained their EC permits to use genetically modified soya in their products?

Focus: You mean any such production is actually unlawful?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: I mean that it may not be a criminal act but is unawareness of the existing law.

Focus: Is unawareness a good excuse?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: No excuse at all. Incompliant producers and retailers are subject to fines of between BGN15,000 and 50,000. We are proposing to raise the lower limit to BGN35,000.

Focus: Has any one been fined so far?
Dr. Vanyo Sharkov: This is a question I have directed to the Minister and I will be looking forward to hearing the answer by the end of the week. How many fines have been imposed and the amount of fines collected.

Tsvetomira GEORGIEVA