the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec)has been asked by exporters to check more than 200 food samples and certify they contain no genetically-modified organisms (GOMs) since it opened one month ago.
Biotec director Sowong Tragoonrung said the high number of requests indicated a growing concern among businesses about genetic modification.
"Most of the samples come from food exporters who are required by their foreign customers to produce evidence that their products are GOM-free.We did not expect the number would be high because each sample represented a shipment."
Soybean and cron topped the samplings.
There are requests for rice and fruit testing .In fact, I don't that is necessary .There is also an increasing demand for testing .seasoning sauces."he said.
Debate over the introduction of GMOs has become heated.with academics and environmentalists expressing concern their possible effects on human health and the ecology
It was reported that a shipment containing soybean supplied by Doikham,a royal project company , was rejected by the German importer
Mr. Somwong said biotec was not yet Qualified to issue certificates.
"We simply produce laboratory results. We will be able to give certification only when we can examine the production process,wihich mean we have to know exctly wheter the tested samples are really used in production, and we'll do this on a random basis.