EU votes against compulsory GM food labelling

Campaigners angry at EU's decision to keep consumers 'in the dark' over food from
animals given genetically modified (GM) feed. Consumers will continue to be none the
wiser about whether they are eating food from animals raised on genetically-modified
feed after MEPs voted against introducing a compulsory label rule. There is currently
no requirement on the food industry to label meat or dairy products produced using
GM animal feed, usually made from GM soya or maize. However, campaigners have
argued that consumers should be given a choice about whether or not to buy such
produce. A recent poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth found that less than 40
per cent of the public was aware that GM was creeping onto their plates via imported
GM cereals and protein crops fed to livestock in the UK. Almost 90 per cent of those
surveyed wanted these products to be clearly labelled. Genewatch director Dr Helen
Wallace said consumers should be 'given a choice' and blamed the vote against labelling on lobbying from the food industry. 'They want consumer decisions to focus on the end product you see on the shelf and not the wider issues,' she said. The vote against feed labelling comes as the EU commission prepares to approve the import of six new GM maize varieties after lobbying by biotech firms Syngenta and Monsanto.

Supermarkets selling meat from animals fed GM crops

Supermarkets across Britain are routinely selling food from animals reared on genetically modified crops without having to declare it on labelling, it can be disclosed. They have acknowledged that meat, fish, eggs and dairy products on their shelves could contain “indirect” GM ingredients. Last night supermarkets including Iceland, Aldi and Lidl said they could provide no guarantee that meat, farmed fish, eggs or dairy products on sale did not come from animals given GM feed. Asda said “all livestock” could potentially have been fed GM products. Sainsbury’s and Tesco said poultry and animals for certain high value lines were fed a non-GM diet. But they could not guarantee animal products from most of the rest of the range. M&S and Waitrose, which promote a tougher stance against factory-farmed foods, sell processed food such as chicken sandwiches and ice cream produced from animals fed a GM diet. Pete Riley, of the campaign group GM Freeze, said: “No supermarket can claim to be non-GM, they might have aspired to be at one point, but effectively they have been pulling the wool over people’s eyes.” The disclosures have reignited the debate about the use of genetic technology in food production following health and environmental concerns.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7852762/Supermarkets-selling-meat-from-animals-fed-GM-crops.html