Panel nod for GM soyoil import likely

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee is likely to give a one-time blanket clearance to genetically modified soyoil imports in its meeting Wednesday.

"The issue (of permitting GM soyoil imports) has been listed on the agenda of the next GEAC meeting," a government official said.

The regulator will give one-time clearance for import of soybean oil that has been derived from round-up ready soybean.

Soyoil imports had come under government scanner in April after the annual supplement to the Foreign Trade Policy made GEAC clearance for genetically modified soyoil imports mandatory. This had led to chaos in the market as 80 per cent-85 per cent of soyoil imports are derived from genetically modified seeds.

In April-May, the GEAC asked importers to submit analytical reports of the products, food safety tests and commercial production approval certificates from the country of origin as well as documents on the method of disposal of by-products and their analytical reports to gain clearance for imports.

It also asked them to submit certificates to prove that GM soyoil imported into India is from a single genetically modified strain by mid-September.