Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are all plants, animals, and micro-organisms into which genes that cannot be naturally found in them have been introduced with genetic engineering techniques.
Genetic engineering technologies make it possible to create plants, animals, and micro-organisms with the desired characteristics under controlled conditions. This allows, for example, to create more drought- and pest-resistant plant varieties, to enrich food with vitamins, and to create special foods for people suffering from genetic diseases.
In Estonia, the regulation of the use of GMOs is divided between the Ministry of Climate, the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, and the Ministry of Social Affairs.
- The Ministry of Climate is responsible for authorising the release of GMOs into the environment and for authorising the cultivation and marketing of products containing or consisting of GMOs. The Gene Technology Commission, whose task is to advise governmental authorities on issues of gene technology and the environmental hazard of a genetically modified organism or product, has been established within the area of government of the Ministry of Climate.
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The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture is responsible for handling GM food and feed requirements, as well as for establishing national requirements for the coexistence of conventional, organic, and GM crops. The Agriculture and Food Board organises the work of the animal experiment project assessment committee to discuss applications for permit applications for conducting GM animal experiment projects.
- The Labour Inspectorate, under the authority of the Ministry of Social Affairs, is responsible for authorising the contained use of GM micro-organisms.
The most common GM crop in the world is soybean, followed by corn, cotton, and rapeseed. The GM corn MON 810 is grown for food and feed in the European Union. This corn has not yet been grown in Estonia because the pest against which the MON 810 corn is resistant is rare here. Information on GM products authorised for cultivation and marketing in the EU can be found in the GMO Register of the European Commission.
In the European Union, all authorisations for placing GM food and feed on the market are granted by a decision of the European Commission following a risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Member States.
Products containing GMOs that are allowed on the market in the European Union may be freely marketed in all Member States. No separate permit is required for their introduction to Estonia.
Foods made from GM plants look and taste like regular foods. All products consisting of, containing, or made from GMOs must be labelled with text indicating that the product is a GM product or is made from GM ingredients, in accordance with EU legislation. For example, rapeseed oil made from GM rapeseed must be labelled with the words ‘genetically modified’ or ‘made from genetically modified rapeseed’. Only a product admitted to the market containing less than 0.9% of GM material due to accidental contamination does not require labelling.
Whether or not it is a genetically modified product can be determined only by laboratory testing. The Agriculture and Food Board annually checks the presence of GMOs in food and feed.