NORTH ISLAND, B.C- Unlabelled genetically modified foods are making their way into Canada, and the NDP is calling for a moratorium on them.
Rachel Blaney, North Island-Powell River MP, said the NDP wants the sale of genetically modified foods stopped until a labelling system is put in place.
According to a press release on Blaney’s website, a recent article in Maclean’s magazine said two seafood import companies are selling GMO salmon to Quebec and Ontario retailers, none of which is labelled as such.
“So people are getting really concerned because they don’t know what they’re getting when they buy salmon off the shelf,” said Blaney.
Right now, Canada is the only country in the G7 who does not require that companies label whether or not their food is genetically modified.
The NDP proposed a bill last year that would make labelling mandatory, which did not pass and the Liberals voted against.
According to Blaney, the motive for the moratorium is clarity, so that people can make informed decisions about their diets.
“This isn’t even a decision for me about whether you are for or against genetically modified products, it’s the right of the consumer,” she said.
“It’s really about a weird culture of secrecy. I don’t understand why people can’t know what is going in their bodies.”
