Feb 10, 2021
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an explanation on its order regarding the requirement of Non-GM-cum-GM-Free Certificates that accompany imported food consignments, specifying that the ordinance is applicable from 1st March this year.
The clarification reads, “The requirement of Non-GM-cum-GM-Free Certificate is applicable to the consignments which are dispatched from the exporting country on or after March 1, 2021.”
The clarification by FSSAI further added that the tolerance limit for the ‘Adventitious Presence- AP’ of GMO at 1 percent is permissible in imported food crop consignments.
In August last year, FSSAI had listed 24 crops that were to be imported in India to mandatorily declare Non-GM-cum-GM-Free Certificate from 1st January 2021 onwards. In September 2020, the order was notified with WTO for comments. And, consequently, the date for implementation is now shifted moved two months ahead to 1st March 2021.
The crops include Wheat, Rice, Maize, Soya, Tomato, Apple, Alfalfa, Argentina Canola, Beans, Chicory, Cowpea, Egg Plant, Flax Seed, Melon, Papaya, Pineapple, Plum, Polish Canola, Potato, Rice, Safflower, Squash, Sugar Beet, Sugarcane, and Sweet Pepper.