A watching brief is to be kept, but no actual changes made, on a call for labelling of genetically modified foods.

Jon Muller of GE Free New Zealand had petitioned Parliament calling for all products, including animal feed, that contain GM foods to be labelled as such.

However, while Parliament's Primary Production Committee agrees it's an important issue, and it sympathises with Mr Muller's concerns, it says authorities are yet to determine if any approved GM foods are less safe to eat than ordinary foods.

The committee says it will monitor developments in the area