GMO MEALIE MEAL FROM SOUTH AFRICA SAFE.

GMO MEALIE MEAL FROM SOUTH AFRICA  SAFE.

 ....for human, animal consumption and environment declares Zambia's NBA Scientific Advisory Committee.

By Alfonso Kasongo 

Zambia's National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has cleared the controversial importation of GMO mealie meal from South Africa into the country declaring  the stable food safe for human and animal  consumption.

This is in a move by government to mitigate the mealie meal crisis which has rocked the country due to rampant smuggling to neighbouring countries.

Recently the government through agriculture Minister, Mtolo Phiri assured the country that it is food secure having stocked about 1.2 million metric tons of maize in the strategic reserves planned to run upto the end of 2024.

But the country is experiencing shortage of mealie meal which has ballooned the prices of the commodity fetching from K180 to about K500 in some parts of the country. 

The NBA, established under an Act of Parliament Number 10 of 2007 to regulates the research, development, application, importation, export, transit, contained use, release or placing on the market of any GMO/LMO, discloses that it conducted risk assessments on all maize varieties from South Africa assuring the nation that the mealie meal made from GMO maize crop from South Africa is safe for consumption.

The Authority says it is working with other Government institutions to ensure that mealie meal that may contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be imported and transited through the country is from the maize varieties that have been authorized by the NBA. 

NBA Scientific Advisory Committee Chairperson Dr. Sody Munsaka says the Authority, working together with the Ministry of Agriculture, has been notifying anyone importing mealie meal or any other products which may contain GMOs on the need to obtain authorization from the NBA. 


Dr. Sody Munsaka-NBA Scientific Advisory Committee Chairperson


“We have conducted risk assessments on soya beans and all maize varieties from South Africa and these have been found to be safe for humans, animals and the environment. Therefore, all products including mealie meal produced from the assessed maize varieties are safe for human and animal consumption,”  Dr. Musaka said.

And he adds ...“among the products containing GMO maize or Soya beans from South Africa that the Authority has permitted into the country include cornflakes, some soups such as Bisto, premixes, spices, some biscuits, Starch, maize grit and dog food.” 

Risk Assessment is the process through which the Scientific Advisory Committee ascertains the safety of products before the Authority grants a permit or rejects an application. “Therefore, we would like to assure the general public that the mealie meal from the assessed maize by the Scientific Advisory Committee is safe, even if it is spilled or dropped in the country or people accidentally consumed it, it cannot cause any harm based on the comfort ascertained through risk assessment.” 

But a consortium of concerned Zambians, farmers, faith based and Civil Society Organisations,  (CSO) demands the publication of the risk assessment results as it is a requirement by the law.

Zambia Alliance for Agro ecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) National Coordinator Mutinta Nketani says maize is a strategic crop explaining that section 11 of Act Number 10 of 2007 stops NBA from approving the importation of any GMO or GMO products or crops and Livestock of strategic importance.


 


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