Anti-GM campaigners have called on the Food Standards Agency to back the introduction of GM-free labelling across Europe.

In an open letter to FSA on Tuesday, campaigners opposed to genetic modification from the group GM-Freeze urged the agency to recommend that the Government backs moves to harmonise GM-free labelling across the EU. Although foods containing genetically modified ingredients must be labelled by law across the bloc, under current regulations, there are currently no regulations to ensure the consistency of labelling that demonstrates food is free of GM ingredients.

GM-Freeze said that, in line with consumers' wishes, such labels should appear both on foods containing GM ingredients and foods from animals reared on GM feed.

FSA research published in January 2013 revealed strong public support for GM-free labels, including on meat, milk and eggs from animals fed on a diet containing GM feed. This contentious issue has become especially relevant in light of the recent relaxations of supermarket sourcing policy, which has seen all of the UK's major supermarkets except Waitrose renege on decade old commitments to sourcing poultry meat and eggs from animals fed on a diet free from GM.

The call was made ahead of an FSA Board meeting, at which FSA officials were to consider a paper on GM-free labelling tabled by the Interim Director of Food Safety. In the FSA research, two-thirds of respondents expressed support for regulations that would require these products to be labelled.

However, GM Freeze said that the recommendations in the FSA Board paper fall short of requesting government support for a harmonising of GM-free labelling across the EU. The European Commission is working on rolling out such labelling and Germany, France and Austria already operate successful GM-free labels on animal products, as well as foods with GM ingredients.  

In its vision statement the FSA claims to support full consumer information, stating, "We aim to ensure that food produced or sold in the UK is safe to eat, consumers have the information they need to make informed choices about where and what they eat."

Pete Riley of GM Freeze commented, "Consumers have been demanding comprehensive labelling of GM use in food production for many years, but the FSA has always failed to support it. Despite the fine words in their vision statement about ensuring consumers have 'informed choices', the FSA has consistently lobbied against comprehensive GM labelling. The paper the FSA Board will discuss on GM-free labels is a continuation of this luke warm and unhelpful approach.

"We strongly urge the Board to support consumer demand for GM-free labelling, including foods from GM-fed animals, so people will be able to avoid GM products if they wish – a choice they have been denied for the last decade or more."