Submissions to a national review on food labelling, due to be made public this week, are pressing for food containing GM canola oil to be clearly disclosed on packaging.

Dr Judy Carman, the director of the Institute of Health and Environmental Research, said a number of household products now contained GM canola oil, which consumers had no way of identifying.

GM canola is grown in both NSW and Victoria and is used in food including margarine, biscuits, and other snack foods.

Under the national standards for GM labelling, established in 2001, GM canola oil does not need to be identified because it is unlikely to contain genetically modified DNA or protein.

But Dr Carman, a former senior epidemiologist for the South Australian Government, said a range of scientific evidence showed DNA and protein from GM canola oil could be found in food products - albeit in small quantities.

Victorian-based group Gene Ethics said public health and safety must be at the forefront of food labelling.

In September, Greenpeace and 180 top Australia chefs also called for all genetically modified products to be identified in food labelling.

The Council of Australian Governments has established a wide-ranging review of Australia's food labelling regime including its role in health promotion, consumer expectations and the regulatory impact on industry.

In submissions to the review, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and the National Farmers Federation argue for the need to reduce costs to producers of mandatory labelling.

The council's submission expressed broad support for voluntary labelling codes.

''Labelling requirements should not discourage purchase but rather assist consumers to make the right purchase to meet their individual needs,'' the submission reads.