Author: Owen Brown
Publication: Dow Jones Newswires
Date: Monday, September 18, 2000

BEIJING -- China is drafting special regulations for genetically modified goods, state media reported Monday, as the country further embraces a technology some western consumers are continuing to resist.

The new laws will cover the genetic modification process from the laboratory to the supermarket shelf with rules governing research and development, quarantine and labeling, the Economic Information Daily reported.

All genetically modified foods or processed food containing genetically modified ingredients will have to be properly labeled, the report said.

Such modified foods have been criticized as ``frankenfood`` by some western consumer and environmental groups. However, China has already planted several modified crops as part of its scientific research.

China ranks fourth in the world for the number of field experiments and acreage under cultivation using genetically modified agricultural goods, the report said. These field tests include 22 varieties of modified agricultural products and trees.

Citing unnamed experts at China`s Ministry of Science and Technology the report said genetically modified goods have many incomparable advantages over traditional species.

Although lauding the great scientific and economic potential offered by genetically modified foods, the report also warned there are some problems with the process that shouldn`t be overlooked.