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18 Sep 1999
Most of the UK's top restaurant chains have removed GM ingredients
from their menus, a new survey from Friends of the Earth reveals today.
The findings are published as new regulations come in to force, requiring
all catering establishments to tell customers if any food they sell
contains DNA from genetically modified soya or maize.
However, the new legislation has loopholes which allow food outlets
to supply meals containing GM derivatives without telling customers.
FOE's survey reveals that many of the restaurants which say they are
free from GM ingredients cannot yet guarantee that they are free from
GM derivatives - though most are phasing them out.
FOE's survey of eleven of the leading restaurant chains shows that:
. All eleven say that they do not use GM soya
or maize - and therefore will not have to label any of their food under
the new regulations;
. Two say that they are free from all GM ingredients
and derivatives;
. A further six are removing GM derivatives,
with two “reviewing”/“monitoring” the issue. One
- Whitbread - is reducing its derivatives.
Friends of the Earth has also been told by the House of Commons caterers
that it also expects not have to label its food as it has had a policy
of avoiding GMOs for over a year.
The Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1999 will oblige all catering
establishments to inform customers of any dish containing DNA from either
GM soya or maize, from Sunday 19 September 1999. However, the regulations
fall far short of providing comprehensive information for customers
seeking to avoid GMOs.
The regulations:
. do not cover tomato puree or cheese containing
a GM rennet;
. do not cover GM derivatives such as oil (from
GM crops') or lecithin made from GM soya because they do not contain
DNA;
. are unlikely to be adequately enforced. Trading
Standards Officers have complained that they do not have the necessary
resources to police the regulations.
Pete Riley, Senior Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“This survey shows that restaurants recognise that customers
do not want to eat food containing GM ingredients or derivatives, and
that most are now removing them as fast as they can. However, restaurants
might well ask why they have to go to all the trouble and expense to
ensure that their meals don't contain ingredients that neither they
nor their customers want. Surely the bill should be picked up by the
big biotech companies who stand to make vast sums of money from this
new technology.”
Once again the Government is failing the public. Despite the
introduction of these new food regulations people will still unknowingly
be buying and eating food containing GM ingredients and derivatives.
Rather than introducing inadequate labelling schemes which are unlikely
to be enforced, the Government should listen to consumers and back calls
for a five year freeze on GM food and crops.”
COMPANY GM
SOYA/MAIZE GM DERIVATIVES
Pret-a-manger Do
not use Do
not use
Domino's Pizza Do
not use Do
not use
McDonald's Do not
use Removing
Perfect Pizza Do
not use Removing
KFC Do
not use Removing
Pizza Hut Do
not use Removing
City Centre Restaurants* Do not use Removing
Wimpy Do
not use Free
by end of year
Burger King Do
not use “Under
review”
Granada Do
not use** “Monitoring
the situation”
Whitbread Do
not use*** reducing
* City Centre Restaurants include Caffe Uno,
Garfunkels, Deep Pan Pizza and Cafe Metro.
** Unsure about GM tomato puree and cheese with
GM rennet
*** No declarable GM ingredients in restaurants
(Cafe Rouge, Bella Pasta), but not removed from Marriott Hotels.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
