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Over 50 blindfolded protestors will draw the attention of attending ministers to the fact that, in the absence of complete labelling, Australians are “eating in the dark” about genetically engineered food.
Last year, state and federal governments promised an independent review of Australian food labelling laws, including that of food sourced from genetically engineered crops. Greenpeace is asking the Health Minister and other council ministers to protect consumer choice by initiating the review without further delay, and by ensuring that genetically engineered food are included in the independent review.
Take action: Ask for comprehensive labelling and stringent safety testing for GE foods
Photos from the protest on Facebook
“It’s disappointing that while governments around the world are banning GE crops, in Australia we are rushing to plant GE canola,” says Michelle Sheather, Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Campaigner.
“Consumers do not want to eat GE food. 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.”
Australia should follow lead of EU countries
In April, Germany announced a ban on growing GE corn 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 recently decided to start field trials of GE canola this year. Australian grain handler GrainCorp also announced that, following this year’s canola harvest, GE canola would be mixed with non-GE canola.
“Though GE canola is grown in Australia only in small quantities, this move will clearly destroy consumer choice on the matter,” says Michelle Sheather.
Current food labelling laws do not require oils, highly processed foods and products derived from livestock fed GE feed to be labelled. 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.
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.
