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Public won't tolerate GM tolerance levels
13 October 1999
At present food containing any DNA from genetically modified soya or maize has to be labelled. However, under the European proposal, which is due to be voted on on Thursday 21 October, the soya or maize will not have to be labelled if it is up to one per cent GM.
A number of food manufacturers and retailers - including Sainsbury and.Waitrose - have told FOE that they are operating to much lower contamination thresholds than those proposed by the European Commission. The introduction of a one per cent threshold may encourage manufacturers to permit greater GM contamination than they currently do.Friends of the Earth believes that consumers have a right to eat GM-free food and that any detectable level of GM contamination is unacceptable.
Pete Riley, Senior Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
"Food containing detectable levels of GMOs 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 UK 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".
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] The UK consultation on the European Commission proposals is being conducted by the Novel Foods branch of MAFF .
[2] Friends of the Earth believes that best way of securing GM-free ingredients is a properly audited system of documentation and segregation of all GM crops from farm to pl/ate.
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
Last modified: Jul 2008
