"Protect consumer choice by labelling all GE food" - Greenpeace

May 01, 2009

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Sydney, Australia — Concerned consumers will join Greenpeace at a demonstration outside the Intercontinental in Sydney where the Food Regulation Ministerial Council is meeting at 9:00 AM today. Last year, state and federal governments agreed to an independent review of Australian food labelling laws, including that of food sourced from genetically engineered crops.

Over 40 blindfolded demonstrators will draw the attention of attending ministers to the fact that, in the absence of complete labelling for GE food, Australians are "eating in the dark".

Greenpeace is asking the Health Minister and other council members to protect consumer choice by initiating the review without further delay, and by ensuring that genetically engineered foods are included in the independent review.

Michelle Sheather, Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Campaigner says “It’s disappointing that while governments around the world are banning GE crops, in Australia we are rushing to plant GE canola. Consumers do not want to eat GE food (1). If our government and food regulator are serious about putting consumers’ interests first, they should agree to label oils and animal products for GE ingredients”.

In April, Germany announced a ban on growing GE maize MON 810, which is developed and marketed by US biotech company Monsanto. Several other European Union countries including France, Austria, Greece, Hungary, and Poland have banned the cultivation of GE food crops.

But in a very different move, Western Australia decided to start field trials of GE canola this year. (2) Also, Australian Grain handler GrainCorp recently announced that following this year’s canola harvest, GE Canola would be mixed with GE free canola.

Though the amount of GE canola now being grown in Australia is small, this move will clearly destroy consumer choice on the matter”, adds Michelle.

The Australian food regulator FSANZ has been criticised on several occasions for pandering to the interest of multinational businesses at the expense of consumer health and choice. (3). Current food labelling laws do not require oils, highly processed foods and products derived from livestock fed GE feed to be labelled.

Greenpeace, consumer, health and environment groups, over 170 leading Australian chefs, nutritionists, experts, and over 22,000 Australians are asking for the labelling of all food containing GE ingredients, and for the proper safety testing of GE food: http://www.truefood.org.au/OurRightToKnow/

Notes to Editor

1. Independent polling in 2008 showed that 90% of Australians want all GE food labelled http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/news-and-events/news/GE/gm-poll-220908

2. Small quantities of GE canola (Australia’s first GE food crop) were commercially grown in NSW and VIC in 2008 when the states lifted their moratorium on growing GE canola. In WA, the moratorium on the commercial growing of GE canola still remains. SA, one of the largest canola exporting states in Australia, still remains completely GE free.

3. Eating in the Dark Report: http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/reports/GE/rep-eatindark-211008

For further information or comment

For interviews contact: Ruchira Talukdar; Greenpeace Media Advisor: +61 4 07 414 572 Images\Footage: Will be available after the demonstration at: http://greenpeacemedia.org username: photos; password: green

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