Archived press release

Restaurants cut GM ingredients

18 September 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.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust