Enforcement of GM Regulations
The regulatory regime for GMOs has essentially two objectives:
- To protect human health and the environment; and
- To ensure consumer choice.
The Government wishes to see an enforcement regime which is effective, promotes public confidence, proportionate to risk and cost effective.
The regulatory regime is enforced by Defra and the GM Inspectorate at the Central Science Laboratory and by the Food Standards Agency and Local Authority trading standards officers and port health authorities.
The GM Inspectorate has authority under Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for inspection and enforcement of the release and marketing of GMOs in England and Wales.
The FSA oversees local authority enforcement activities for food law, including the GM food and feed Regulations.
Page last modified: 2 October 2007
Page published: 2 September 2003