Ottawa, Ontario - Sugar-coating cannot cover the contradictions and bias in the final report released today by the controversial Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee (CBAC): "Improving the Regulation of Genetically Modified Foods and Other Novel Foods in Canada."

"As expected, the report is biased towards the biotech industry, full of contradictions, along with very weak policy suggestions," says Nadège Adam, campaigner for the Council of Canadians.

Over 50 NGOs, including the Council of Canadians boycotted an invitation to participate in CBAC's consultation because they believed it would legitimize CBAC's wholly inadequate mandate and process, a poor substitute for a more democratic process such as parliamentary debates and hearings.

The purpose of CBAC, a committee set up by the 7 ministers currently coordinating biotech issues, is to 'assist the government of Canada in the formulation of public policy on biotechnology.' Its impartiality is suspect, however, as CBAC is housed in the office of the Canadian Biotechnology Secretariat within Industry Canada, an agency whose aim is to promote biotechnology.

"CBAC's credibility is and will always be an issue given its membership composition," adds Adam. "The vast majority of the committee members have either ties or notable sympathies towards the biotech industry. It comes as no surprise that the basic concerns of Canadians are not reflected in this report."

For example, CBAC upholds a voluntary labeling policy for foods containing GE ingredients as opposed to a mandatory one. "The most recent polls show that over 90% of Canadians want a mandatory labeling policy," continues Adam, "the question on everyone's mind is who's concerns is CBAC advocating?"

CBAC's report only adds insult to injury in the Canadian GE food debate. Canadians are still waiting on a parliamentary study on the labeling of GE foods initiated by the Standing Committee on Health earlier this year. This study was promised by this government when it organized the defeat of the infamous Bill C-287, which called for the mandatory labeling of GE foods. The study was dropped in early April 2002, never to be heard from again. There are also the Royal Society of Canada's recommendations for GE food regulation, which have yet to have been acted upon in spite of the numerous warnings found in that report.

"CBAC's recommendations are unacceptable as is this government's inaction and deliberate attempts to quash all efforts towards sound policies for regulation of GE foods," says Adam, "The Government should reinstate the parliamentary hearings and put in place a moratorium on any further releases of GE products until this matter has been fully addressed."