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This action follows hard fought legislative attempts at state wide moratoriums on GE wheat in North Dakota and Montana, two of the nation's top wheat producing states.
The petition was filed by the Center for Food Safety on behalf of the Dakota Resource Council, Northern Plains Resource Council, National Family Farm Coalition, Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society, the Western Organization of Resource Councils, North Dakota State Senator April Fairfield, and Montana State Senator John Tester.
Monsanto applied for deregulation for its Roundup Ready Spring wheat (used mainly in bread products) in both the U.S. and Canada in December 2002. If granted deregulated status, Monsanto would be able to sell its GE wheat seed. Wheat farmers are concerned that if Monsanto's GE wheat is given approval countries abroad would refuse to import any U.S. wheat because of contamination.
The U.S. exports about half of the wheat grown in the states. Many key U.S. export countries, including the European Union, Egypt, South Korea, the Philippines and others, have said they will refuse to accept GE wheat.
To read the full legal petition, go to: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/li/WheatUSDApetFinalD7.pdf
What can you do?Call the 1-800 numbers on the products you purchase that include wheat as an ingredient. Ask them if they plan to accept GE wheat as an ingredient in their products, and tell them you will refuse to purchase their products if they do!
Here are the numbers for the top three bread companies, responsible for most brands of bread sold in supermarkets:
- Interstate Baking Company 1-816-502-4000 (Wonder Bread, Home Pride, Hostess, Dolly Madison, Merita, Drake's, Mrs Cubbison's, Marie Callender's, Beefsteak, Good Hearth, Bread Du Jour, Butternut, Colombo, Di Carlo, Holsum, Roman Meal, Sun Maid, Sun Beam and private label products)
- Sara Lee Company 1-314-259-7000 (Earthgrains, Grant's Farm, IronKids, Rainbo, Break Cake and private label products)
- Flowers Foods 1-229-226-9110 (ButterKrust, Cobblestone Mill, Nature's Own, Mrs. Smith's)
