A WA parliamentary question seeks information on the management of GM canola and its potential impact on Western Australian honey production. The response indicates a lack of monitoring for GM contamination in honey, relying on the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator's assessment of safety.

AnsweredQoN 1154Legislative Council
Asked
18 November 2009
Portfolio
Agriculture and Food

QuestionView source ↗

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CANOLA — WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HONEY
(1) Which Western Australian apiarist associations have been informed of the location of genetically modified canola sites in Western Australia? (2) What processes are in place to ensure that Western Australian honey is not GM contaminated? (3) Which bodies are monitoring honey for GM contamination? (4) To date, has any Western Australian honey been GM contaminated? (5) If yes to (4), what has been done with that honey? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(2) What processes are in place to ensure that Western Australian honey is not GM contaminated? (3) Which bodies are monitoring honey for GM contamination? (4) To date, has any Western Australian honey been GM contaminated? (5) If yes to (4), what has been done with that honey? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(3) Which bodies are monitoring honey for GM contamination? (4) To date, has any Western Australian honey been GM contaminated? (5) If yes to (4), what has been done with that honey? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(4) To date, has any Western Australian honey been GM contaminated? (5) If yes to (4), what has been done with that honey? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(5) If yes to (4), what has been done with that honey? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(1) The locations of the GM trial sites have been widely publicised and are available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(2) The Department of Agriculture and Food has no processes in place to detect GM presence in honey. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator is satisfied as to the safety of honey, which may contain an approved GM event. (3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(3) No monitoring is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and we are not aware of any other bodies performing monitoring of honey for GM contamination. (4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(4) To date, there is no known case of GM adventitious presence in Western Australia. (5) Not applicable.
(5) Not applicable.

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