Data base for genetically modified organisms and food

COLOMBO: The Environment and Natural Resources Ministry has launched a project to establish a data base consisting information about genetically modified organisms or food items.

A Ministry release said six institution's dealing with genetically modified organisms and food items had been identified and it is hoped to give officers in these institutions an awareness on entering data into this data base network under this project.

The Six institutions are Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, Annual Production and Health Ministry, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry, Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Ministry, Agriculture Ministry and the Wildlife Conservation Department.

Data about the import of genetically modified plants or seeds should be entered by the Agriculture Ministry and data about genetically modified food items should be entered by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry.

A series of awareness workshops on this programme will be held in the near future by the Bio-diversity Secretariat of the Environment Ministry with the assistance of veterans in the Information Technology field and Intellectuals in the Bio-Technology and Conservation field.

The first workshop was held at the Ministry Auditorium on September 18.'