Ukraine-End to labelling laws.

UKRAINE-END TO LABELLING LAWS.

Beginning from May 1 compulsory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) will be annuled, a chief of GMO laboratory at Ukrmetrstandart Ruslan Holubetz reported. The Cabinet has not approved labeling procedures, reports the Segodnya newspaper.

According to first deputy head of the All-Ukrainian ecological league Tatiana Timochko, high-ranking officials are lobbying procrastinations of procedure. Probably, they are owners of works in Ukraine producing food with GMO and businessmen relating to import production with GMO.

Ecologists are not losing hope to impose compulsory labeling. "I hope it will happen towards summer", Holubetz specifies. As for health hazard of GMO-production, Timochko reported "organism becomes antibiotic-resistant".

Introduction of hard rules of meat production, i.e. 100 percent of meat is put off from April 2009 till January 1 2010, reported Ukrmetrteststandart representative Evhenia Kritskaya.

"Producers need time to reequip their enterprises. If they are not in time for January 1, it can be delayed again", told Ukrmetrteststandart spokeswoman.

The introduction of new standards will send prices for sausage up by 1/3, according to the head of the All-Ukrainian union Ukrmyasoprodukt Halyna Vasylyck. "It can be done in civilized countries within 5-6 years", she says. According to her, at best sausage contains 50 percent of meat now.