Compulsory labelling for GM food packs from January 2013

NEW DELHI: Packs containing genetically modified food will come with 'GM' label from January 1, 2013.

"The government has made it mandatory to mention on every package, containing GM food, at the top of its principal display, the words 'GM'," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.

The rule would be applicable with effect from January 1, 2013, he added.

Observing that the level of awareness about GM foods among people in the country is very low, Thomas said: "The reason for this is possibly that GM is a totally new invention and has not been widely experimented".