Top chefs say Australians have right to know if they are eating GM food

 The petition calls on Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, for labelling and rigorous safety testing of all food derived from genetically modified (GM) crops.

Oils and other highly processed foods are currently not labelled for GM ingredients nor are produce from animals fed with GM feed . Canola is used extensively in processed foods, as cooking oil and in animal feed. Australia's first GM food crop, GM canola will be harvested in NSW and Victoria later this year. (1)

Dr Rosemary Stanton, author of more than 20 books on nutrition said, "processing might remove the DNA from oilseeds, but children allergic to peanuts still have adverse effects from consuming peanut oil. We have no idea about the long term health impacts of GM food because appropriate tests have generally not been done and the products have not been labelled. The lack of labelling concerns me."

The launch of the food labelling petition follows more than a hundred and fifty of Australia's leading chefs  expressing their opposition to serving genetically modified (GM) foods in their restaurants, by endorsing a GM-Free Chefs Charter. The Charter calls for the thorough labelling of all food products containing GM ingredients and opposes the recent introduction of GM canola in New South Wales and Victoria.

Visit www.greenpeace.org.au for a list of endorsers of the GM-free Chefs Charter.

Tobie Puttock, head chef of Fifteen Restaurant said, "I always use the freshest, seasonal produce I can get my mitts on, and it's something I continually drum into my chefs and trainee chefs at Fifteen in the hope they will adopt this philosophy too.

"As Australians, we have an almost unique opportunity to grow and source our produce locally and naturally, it's so important on every front that we continue to support that. If GM products are a reality, then at the very least we have the right to know exactly what we are eating. Eat local, Eat natural!" he said.

Michelle Sheather, coordinator of the Greenpeace genetic engineering campaign said, "GM food will end up on our tables unlabelled through supermarket products and food from restaurants and take-aways.

"Australians have the right to know if they are eating GM food or not. Keeping public health and consumer rights in mind, the federal government should urgently consider labelling of all GM food," she said.

Top chefs like Tetsuya Wakuda, Maggie Beer, Bill Granger, Stephanie Alexander, Kylie Kwong, Margaret Fulton, Neil Perry, Ian Parmenter and Fiona Hoskins have endorsed the chefs charter.

The new petition asks for labelling of all GM food, and is supported by the Public Health Association of Australia, Mothers Are Demystifying GE (MAdGE) , Slow Food Victoria, Gene Ethics, Friends of the Earth, Conservation Councils across Australia, Environment Victoria, Network of Concerned Farmers Organic Traders & Consumers Network, the Organic Federation, the Biological Farmers Association and other groups.
 
Consumers can sign the petition at: http://www.truefood.org.au/OurRightToKnow