Products consisting of or containing GMOs and food products obtained from GMOs which have been authorised on the basis of the procedure under Directive 2001/18/EC (Part C) or Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 are, in addition to labelling requirements, subject to traceability requirements pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003.

Traceability is the ability to track GMOs and food products obtained from GMOs at all stages of their placing on the market, throughout the production and distribution chain. Traceability makes it easier to label products precisely, to closely monitor the potential effects on the environment and on health and, where necessary, to withdraw products if an unexpected risk to human health or to the environment is detected.

The traceability rules mean that all of the operators involved, in other words anyone who places a product on the market or receives a product placed on the market in the Community, must be able to identify their supplier and the companies to which the products have been supplied. .

Operators must provide the following, in writing, to the operator receiving the product:

• an indication that the product - or certain ingredients - contains GMOs or consists of GMOs or is obtained from GMOs, and
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• the unique identifier(s) for these GMOs, if the products contain or consist of GMOs.

In case of products consisting of or containing mixtures of GMOs to be used only and directly as food or feed or for processing, this information may be replaced by a declaration of use by the operator, accompanied by a list of the unique identifiers for all those GMOs that have been used to constitute the mixture.

Operators must ensure that the information received is passed on in writing to the next operators to receive the products.

For a period of five years after every transaction, every operator must retain this information and be able to identify the operator from whom he or she obtained the products and the one to whom he or she supplied them.

Exemption