Archived press release

'GM-FREE FOOD' CONTAMINATED WITH GM INGREDIENTS. Companies breaking EU law on GM labelling

28 January 1999

The revelations further highlight the total inadequacy of the EU GM labelling law, which also allows certain ingredients - such as GM oils and lecithin - to be exempt. Furthermore, although the EU regulation on GM food labelling has been in effect since September 1998,companies are not prosecuted because the Government has yet to introduce any sanctions for law-breakers. Such a move is still some months away.

Pete Riley, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“These new findings highlight the impotence of the European GM labelling scheme. If companies don't know that their products contain GM ingredients,they won't label them. The labelling scheme is totally inadequate anyway allowing for certain GM ingredients to be exempt. As a result we are all forced to eat GM food despite the fact that most people don't want it.

“These revelations expose the empty rhetoric of the biotech companies, who bleat on about consumer choice, as untrue and deliberately geared to misleading the public. The Government should stick up for consumers and ensure that we don't have to swallow these mutant foods against our will. The best way to do this is to ban all GM food for five years.”

However, Friends of the Earth today urged Trading Standards Officers to take action. Peter Roderick, Legal Adviser at Friends of the Earth said:
“Trading Standards Officers have a legal duty, as an emanation of the State, to enforce the labelling regulation. We call on them to do so and not to wait for separate domestic legislation which is legally unnessecary as EU Regulations are directly applicable in UK law. “

The research was carried out by Worcestershire Trading Standards Service and obtained by Friends of the Earth. Twenty four samples were submitted (21 food and 3 animal feed) for genetic fingerprinting. The results revealed:

• Two (out of six) samples of food ingredients contained GM soya. Neither company was aware of this and both have since changed supplier;
• Two (out of fifteen) samples of food stuffs on retail sale contained GM soya. One was declared on the labelling, the other wasn't and the company has since changed supplier;
• One (out of three) samples of animal feed contained GM material. The manufacturer has since changed supplier. Animal feed does not have to be labelled.
  
  

Pete Riley, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“These new findings highlight the impotence of the European GM labelling scheme.If companies don't know that their products contain GM ingredients, they won't label them. The labelling scheme is totally inadequate anyway allowing for certain GM ingredients to be exempt. As a result we are all forced to eat GM food despite the fact that most people don't want it.

Pete Riley continued:
“This report by Worcester Trading Standards also exposes the empty rhetoric of the biotech companies, who bleat on about consumer choice, as untrue and deliberately geared to misleading the public. The Government should stick up for consumers and ensure that we don't have to swallow these mutant foods against our will. The best way to do this is to ban all GM food for five years.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust