TESCO MOVES TO BAN GM FOOD FROM SHELVES

PA 27.04.99 19:06


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By Eileen Murphy, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, PA News
The only major food retailer to refuse to ban genetically modified food has
changed its policy on the issue.
Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco refused, in recent months, to bow to
pressure to issue a ban on GMs in its own-brand products saying competitors'
claims they could achieve totally GM-free status were open to question.
However, today Tesco said that a recent survey of customers had confirmed that
many were concerned about GM products and one in four wanted them removed from
Tesco shelves.
Tesco said in light of this it would remove GMs from all products where it was
practical to do so and said it was already "energetically" seeking reliable
sources of genuine GM-free ingredients.
But the supermarket chain, which has an annual turnover of 18.5 billion,
would not rule out introducing GM products in its stores in the future.
John Longworth, trading law and technical director, said that further customer
research would establish the conditions under which such products would be
acceptable to shoppers.
He added: "Our customers say that current GM products offer no new benefits
so it's not surprising that some want them removed and the great majority want a
proper choice.
"Our policy to deliver that choice is straightforward. We will remove GM
ingredients where we can and label where we can't. For the longer term we are
keeping the door open for GM products if they bring real benefits. However, no
new GM products will be introduced without full customer consultation."
Anti-GM campaigners welcomed Tesco's policy shift and said they would work
with the retail giant to meet the challenge of removing GM ingredients.
Peter Melchett, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: "The UK Government
should support this move by Tesco and ban GM food. It should also give more
support to organic farming.
"Tesco has responded to consumer demand. It is now time for the big food
producers to follow the lead taken by all the major supermarkets and phase out
GM food."
Over the last three months Sainsbury's, Asda and Safeway have all moved to ban
GM foods from their shelves in line with Iceland supermarkets - the first
multiple retailer to take the decision.
Meanwhile the world's leading soy protein supplier, Protein Technologies
International (PTI), today pledged to meet any level of UK and European demand
for GM-free soya.
PTI's managing director for Europe, Richard Brown, said: "We have now secured
sufficient production of guaranteed non-GM soybeans to supply all of Europe's
food demands for non-GM soy protein. We firmly believe that our customers, and
thus consumers, should have a choice between GM and non-GM soya."
Ends

Two of Britain's leading branded food producers - Van den Bergh Foods and Birds Eye Wall's - said they would now stop using genetically modified (GM) ingredients.
In a joint statement the companies, which are both part of the Unilever group, said they will achieve this by making use on alternative GM-free ingredients and where possible by reverting to currently limited sources of traditional GM-free soya.
Van den Bergh said the first product that will be affected by this was its Beanfeast product range which is popular with vegetarians.
At present the range contains GM soya but this will be removed within two months.
Both companies stressed that GM soya was used only in a small proportion of their products although the "growing confusion among UK consumers over the advantages of using GM ingredients" had led them to act.
Gavin Neath, chairman of Van den Burgh Foods, said today's decision did not change the long held belief in the potential of biotechnology, including the genetic modification of food ingredients.
Iain Ferguson, chairman of Birds Eye Wall's, added: "We have taken this decision in direct response to the wishes of a growing number of consumers in the UK."
Greenpeace director Peter Melchett said the decision by Unilever to stop using GM ingredients in its food products was "the most amazing U-turn we have ever seen in a campaign".
He said the campaign group had met Unilever UK chairman Richard Greenhaugh yesterday to discuss their position on GM ingredients and said today's announcement would put further pressure on Nestle to follow suit.
Mr Melchett said: "Today's decision will have a worldwide impact on farmers growing GM crops and is a tremendous victory for our campaign. Nestle is the other major European food group and we would expect an announcement from them in a day or two."

Friends of the Earth added its voice to the call for all other major food manufacturers to follow Unilever's example and remove GM ingredients from their products.
Senior FoE food campaigner Pete Riley said: "We welcome today's moves by Tesco and Unilever. These foods are untested and are being rushed on to the market against public opinion. This is a victory for consumer pressure and we would call on other major food manufacturers to now follow suit."

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