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ICELAND'S LIVESTOCK GOES GM-FREE

05 Oct 2000

Supermarket chain Iceland today announced that all its livestock for primary meat production is now reared on a non-GM diet, a move warmly welcomed by Friends of the Earth.

A new public opinion survey, commissioned by FOE and published today, reveals that sixty-three per cent of shoppers want supermarkets to drop GM ingredients from animal feeds.Only one in five favour supermarkets stocking products from GM-fed animals.

Most of the UK's leading supermarkets look set to follow Iceland's lead. Sainsbury,Waitrose, Marks & Spencer's and Asda have all said that they are removing GM ingredients from animal feed. Consumer concern has banished GM ingredients from most of our food.But GM soya and maize is still being imported in huge quantities for use in animal feeds.Maize commonly makes up 30-50 per cent of the diet of dairy cattle.

Avoiding GM animal feed would be easier if it was labelled. Since 1999, food eaten by the public has had to be labelled if it contains any GM DNA. But animal feed is exempt.However, last month the Food Standards Agency said that it wants to extend labelling to cover GM animal feed. The issue is also being considered by the EU.

Earlier this week the Government opened a public hearing, expected to take 10 weeks, into its plans to allow a GM maize for animal feed to be added to the national seed list. This is the final legal barrier before the seed can be commercially grown in the UK.

Friends of the Earth's real food campaigner, Pete Riley said:
“Congratulations to Iceland. Once again they have taken the initiative on GM food. The public have made it perfectly clear that they do not want shops and supermarkets to rear animals on GM feed. It is time that every supermarket followed Iceland's lead and gave customers what they want.”

NOTE

[1]    The FOE survey was carried by NOP between 20th and 25th July 2000 and interviewed 1996 people.