China bans misleading labels on non-GMO products

Peanut oils are displayed on a shelf in a market for sale. [File photo:the Beijing Times]

(ECNS) -- China has banned misleading words like "healthier" and "safer" in advertisements for non-genetically modified (GM) products, the Shanghai-based China Business News reported.

According to an announcement on the official Sina Weibo account of China Central Television's Advertising Center, "GMO-free" labeling is also forbidden for use by certain companies if GM versions of their products don't exist in China or anywhere else.

The announcement warned that the State Administration for Industry and Commerce will strengthen supervision of GM labeling.

Some peanut oils in China are labeled "GMO-free," even though genetically modified peanuts haven't been produced yet, according to the newspaper,

"GMO-free labeling on products is banned in some countries, as it could mislead consumers and create unfair competition," said Zhuo Qin, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chen Junshi, a researcher at China's Center for Food Safety, has said that such labeling may create unfair competition, because "it's a way for companies to pander to public opinion and mislead consumers."