Archived press release

Top restaurants back genetic food ban

30 December 1998

Most of the country's leading restaurants [1] have given their backing to a campaign calling on the Government to impose a five year ban on genetically modified (GM) food and crops a Friends of the Earth survey reveals today. More than three quarters (19) of the twenty three [2] "Top Rated Restaurants" in The Good Food Guide 1999 have agreed to support FOE's campaign calling for a five year GM ban "to allow for further research into their impacts on health and the environment, and for the public to decide whether they want this new technology to be introduced into the UK."

The Good Food Guide's top rated restaurants are considered to be the best in the country.The guide ranks them as scoring 8, 9, or 10 out of 10. In its editorial this year the Guide itself also expresses concern saying: "To introduce 'experimental' herbicide-resistant [genetically modified] crops without some soundly based assurance is madness, albeit perfectly legal madness...If BSE has taught us anything, it is surely to be cautious about tampering with natural processes, however well-intentioned, however plausibly the benefits are packaged."

Pete Riley, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"The UK's top restaurants have given a massive thumbs down to genetically modified food. The message is clear: the public don't want it, restaurants don't want it - the restaurants in the House of Commons have even banned it - but the public is still being forced to eat it. The Government should stop bowing to the biotech industry and ban genetically modified crops and food for at least five years to allow more research to take place, and let the public choose whether it wants this new technology dumped on its plate."

Shaun Hill, Chef and Proprietor of Merchant House in Ludlow, Shropshire [3] said:

"Like many restaurateurs I am very concerned about the introduction of genetically modified food. There are just too many question marks hanging over this new technology. I care about food quality which is why I avoid using GM ingredients. It's about time the Government learned from the mistakes of the past and stopped people messing about with our food."

Public opinion is overwhelmingly opposed to genetically modified crops. Earlier this year a MORI survey revealed that 61 per cent of the public don't want to eat GM food and 77 per cent supported a ban on the commercial growing of GM crops.

Last month the House of Commons catering Committee gave its backing to a policy banning - where possible -GM food and ingredients from all the canteens and restaurants in the House of Commons.In September a mandatory EU labelling scheme was introduced with the intention of labelling GM food and ingredients by March 1999. However, loopholes in the scheme mean that many products containing GM ingredients (such as lecithin, a soya by-product, and oils) would not be labelled.

Notes to Editors

[1] The Good Food Guide 1999 lists 23 'Top Rated Restaurants'. This includes the following nineteen restaurants which are backing FOE's campaign (with their Good Food Guide cooking score):

[2] 19 (of the top 23) restaurants have backed FOE's campaign. Other leading restaurants have also given their support.

[3]Shaun Hill (contact details available from FOE) of Merchant House, Ludlow, Shropshire and Annie Schwab of Winteringham Fields, Winteringham, N Lincs are available - time permitting - for media comment. Please avoid calling during the restaurants busy periods. Shaun Hill and Annie Schwab are both involved with Euro-Toques - a 2,500 strong European Community of chefs - whose aim is to protect the fine quality and flavour of food. Euro-Toques is opposed to GMOs.

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