Archived press release

"FRANKENSTEIN FOOD" GIVES ICELAND THE SHIVERS Friends of the Earth Welcome Green Move by Supermarket Chain

18 March 1998

Britain's leading environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth today congratulated supermarket chain Iceland on its bold decision to ban genetically modified (GM) ingredients from its own brand foods. From 1st May 1998 no Iceland own label production will contain GM ingredients. Friends of the Earth today wrote to all major retailers calling upon them to follow Iceland's lead and ban genetically engineered ingredients from their foods [1].

Multinational biotechnology companies are now forcing their products into the human food chain. FOE have raised serious concerns on the long term health and environmental effects of these new foods and on the economic hold that biotech multinationals threaten to have on UK farmers [2][3].

Genetically engineered soya beans and maize are already being imported into the UK from the USA. The engineered soya beans have been mixed with conventionally grown beans,making it impossible for consumers to avoid these `frankenstein' food so that consumers cannot tell which products contain the engineered beans. Soya is present in around 60%of all processed foods. German chemical giant Hoechst has now applied to grow genetically engineered oilseed rape in the UK [4].

Charles Secrett, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said today:
“Iceland must be congratulated on their tough stance against genetically engineered foods. It is outrageous that large multinational companies are changing the fundamental nature of the food we eat simply to make more money. This is immoral. The long term health and environmental effects are totally unknown. We call on all other supermarkets to follow Iceland's lead and ban genetically modified foods from their shelves”.

With the UK Government likely to decide imminently whether to allow genetically engineered crops to be grown commercially in the UK, FOE believes that supermarkets should be giving a clear message to farmers here that they don't want these new foods and neither do their customers [5].


Notes to Editors

1. Iceland will guarantee that from 1 May no own label production will contain any genetically-modified ingredients.
2. Genetically engineered foods will introduced new proteins into human and animals food which could produce novel toxins and allergies. Only long term research can prove them safe.
3. Strict contracts between Monsanto and US soya farmers legally tie farmers to Monsanto's own herbicide, Round Up, and prevent them saving seed from their crops.
4. A subsidiary of the German multinational chemical company Hoechst has submitted applications for National Seed Listing for two varieties of genetically engineered oilseed rape to the MAFF. The application process has recently been halted pending the lifting of a moratorium on herbicide resistant crops in France which has prevented a Marketing Consent for the two varieties being approved. Both National Seed and Marketing Consent are required before the crops can be commercially grown in the EU.
5. Opinion surveys on genetically engineered food have consistently shown consumer resistance their introduction into the food chain
   

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust