It's Imperative to Strengthen Safety Standards

South Korean consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety as four local cornstarch manufacturers imported 57,000 tons of genetically modified (GM) corn from the United States on Thursday. It marked the first time that the country has brought in GM corn to process into cornstarch and cornstarch sugar. An estimated total of 111 tons of GM corn has so far been imported to make popcorn. The four companies plan to import an additional 50,000 tons of generically altered corn this month. And they are expected to purchase a total of 1.2 million tons from the United States this year.

Consumer and environmental activists are raising their voice against the imports, citing fears about safety of generically modified organisms (GMOs). They claim that there is no proven record of GMOs safety, calling on the food regulator to ban imports of GM crops. However, the producers ― CPK, Samyang Genex, Shindongbang CP and Daesang GMO ― said they have no other choice but to turn to GM corn because prices of non-modified corn have surged amid acute food shortages around the globe, especially in developing countries.

Corn prices are currently set at $430 per ton, a surge from $150 per ton at the end of 2006. The price hike is attributable to a booming U.S. biofuel program to extract ethanol from corn. The heavily subsidized program has created a shortage of the crop as the use of corn as food is diverted into energy. In this situation, the price of GM corn has also risen to $330 per ton. However, the price is far more attractive than that of conventional corn. Thus, it may be seen as quite natural for cornstarch makers to resort to genetically altered corn.

However, what really matters is the safety of food made from genetically modified organisms. The U.S. is the world's largest producer of GM crops. And scientists have yet to ensure GMO safety although there has been no clear evidence of GM crops' harmful effects on humans. The European Union (EU) and many other countries, except the U.S., have continued to enforce strict regulations on GMO products, known as ``Frankenfood.''

In South Korea, most consumers have little confidence in the safety of GMO-processed food. Imported GM corn will be used as a secondary ingredient to produce snacks, beverages and ice cream. What's more serious is that consumers cannot know which finished products contain GM corn because manufacturers do not necessarily declare all the ingredients, GM crops or not.

According to the GMO food regulations enforced by the Korea Food and Drug administration (KFDA), producers are required to disclose only five major ingredients of their products. Thus, they don't have to reveal GM crop content ― even if it exceeds 10 percent of the entire food ― as long as a GM ingredient is not included among the five major ingredients. It is absurd for the regulator to adopt such a rule. The KFDA should set a more reasonable and stern rule to enhance food safety.

A coalition of 342 civic groups has already launched a campaign to call for a ban on GM crops. Friends of the Earth International also urged the Korean government and food producers to stop imports of GM corn. The authorities should take radical steps to guarantee food safety in order to protect people's health before it's too late.