SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Department of Health Act. Under this provision, the Minister of Health is responsible for

    (a) conducting research in order to

      (i) establish whether the consumption of genetically modified foods by a human being or an animal produces, in the short term and in the long term, dangerous or harmful effects on their health, and

      (ii) establish whether the cultivation of plants from genetically modified seeds produces, in the short term and in the long term, dangerous or harmful effects on the environment, insects and other plants;

    (b) making regulations on the labelling of genetically modified foods in order to allow consumers to easily identify that characteris tic of the food;

    (c) creating a committee responsible for

      (i) examining whether the research conducted for the purpose of creating genetically modified food and the consumption by a human being of such foods causes ethic problems or goes against certain religious practices and, if so, to make such recommenda tions as the committee deems useful in the circumstances, and

      (ii) encouraging all groups, including the academic community, to engage a debate on the matters referred to in sub-paragraph (i), and

    (d) setting up information programs for the general public to make people aware

      (i) of the short term and long term effects of the consumption of genetically modified foods on the health of human beings and animals; and

      (ii) of the short term and long term effects of the cultivation of plants from genetically modified seeds on the environment, insects and other plants.