Good news: Russia’s President Vladamir Putin has signed the Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offences into law, including a new article which establishes liability for the violation of mandatory requirements for the labeling of food products that contain GMOs.
The bill was signed on the last day of 2014, according to TASS news agency.
First submitted by the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor), the bill imposes fines for vague or unclear labeling on food products containing genetically modified ingredients.
According to the bill, individual entrepreneurs have the potential to be fined up to 50,000 rubles ($890), and the products will be confiscated. Business entities could face a fine of up to 150,000 rubles (over $5,300).
As stated by President Putin in 2014, Russia must protect its citizens from over consumption of products containing genetically modified organisms. The Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, followed this statement with a declaration of his own, proclaiming that Russia has no intention to import GMOs, however there are still large quantities of GMO foods being imported into Russia.
It seems the entire board of politicians is looking out for its country. Russian Minister of Agriculture Nikolai Fyodorov believes that Russia must remain a GMO-free country. At a meeting of deputies representing rural areas organized by United Russia, he said that the government will not “poison their citizens.”
In addition, a group of senators from Russia’s Federation Council introduced a bill last February seeking to prohibit the distribution and import of products containing GMOs in Russia.
This is a huge ‘win’ for anti-GMO proponents across the world. If Russia’s ministry can stand up for the health of its citizens and tighten its labeling laws, so can – and hopefully will – other countries.
By Amanda Froelich, True Activist;
