Health Canada is consulting Canadians on proposals to exempt some new genetically engineered foods — genetically modified organisms or GMOs — from government regulation. In the midst of the pandemic, the public had 60 days to comment, but the clock runs out on May 25.
Examining proposals for “regulatory guidance” on genetic engineering could be complicated but Health Canada has made it easy and sensational. Guided by the government-wide agenda for “agile regulation,” and responding to industry’s enthusiasm for new genetic engineering techniques, Health Canada is proposing to hand over some safety assessments to product developers such as Bayer (formerly Monsanto) and Corteva (DowDupont).
Health Canada asks Canadians if they think this approach is safe: is it “commensurate with the level of risk”?
Health Canada’s core proposal would remove its regulatory authority from some genetically engineered foods, many likely produced through genetic engineering techniques known as genome editing. Some products would come to market with no government oversight.