Campaigners launch legal food fight

New law allows some GM products to remain undeclared

- by BEYOND GM

THE government is facing a legal challenge after bringing in regulations that fundamentally change how genetically modified organisms are regulated in England.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 create a new category of GMOs, called ‘precision-bred organisms’ (PBOs), and exempt these from the food and environmental safety requirements of other types of GMOs.

This is a sleight of hand that has serious implications for the environment and the food system.

It allows these precision-bred GMOs to enter the food system and wider environment without labelling, without adequate traceability systems, and without any proper safety testing or impact assessments.

Our food system shapes our environment, and we can’t protect either without transparent and truthful information that allows us to make informed choices and take informed actions.

These new regulations take all that away:

Consumers have lost the right to know and make choices about genetically modified PBOs in their food.

Organic and biodynamic farmers and food producers still have a legal obligation to avoid contamination with all GMOs, including PBOs. The new regulations take away the necessary tools and processes to ensure the integrity of organic products – resulting in a loss of consumer confidence and trade.