Friends of the Earth (FOE) slammed plans by the European Commission to allow soya and maize significantly contaminated by genetically modified (GM) organisms to be exempt from GM labelling regulations.
At present food containing any DNA from genetically modified soya or maize has to be labelled. However, under the European proposal, which could be voted through on 21 October, the soya or maize will not have to be labelled if it contains up to one per cent GM.
Many large food manufacturers and retailers, including Sainsbury's and Waitrose, have told FOE that have much lower contamination thresholds for own brand products than those proposed by the European Commission.
Pete Riley, Senior Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“Food containing detectable levels of genetically modified organisms
must not be exempt from GM labelling regulations. Consumers want and
expect GM-free food. Many food manufacturers already reach much stricter
contamination targets than the feeble levels planned by the European
Commission. The Government must listen to the public mood on this issue
and fight for much tougher standards. Anything less would be a victory
for the biotech industry and its policy of attempting to flood the market
with unsegregated GM ingredients”.
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