GREENPEACE GENETIC HAZARD PATROL TRACKS GE SOYA OIL TO DISTRIBUTORS

Brussels, BELGIUM 21 November, 1997

Greenpeace today blocked a tanker truck containing 35,000 litres of genetically engineered soya oil, after successful tracking the import and distribution of the soya from the US to Europe.

At half-past-five this morning in Upper Austria, Greenpeace stopped the truck loaded with genetically manipulated soya-oil. The oil was on its way from a processing mill in Germany to a firm in Austria's southern Province of Carinthia. Twelve activists chained themselves to the truck, stopping the delivery of the gentech freight.

"Greenpeace's Genetic Hazard Patrol has prevented the very first delivery of the `97 US harvest into Austria", said Wolfgang Sadik of Greenpeace. "We are blocking this gentech oil in the names of millions of European consumers who have clearly expressed their desire for GE-free food."

The genetically engineered cargo of soya was first held up by Greenpeace when it tried to enter the Dutch port of Rotterdam last week, bound for the multinational grain company, Archers Daniels Midland (ADM). Activists prevented the ship, the MN Istanbul, from unloading for 36 hours. On Wednesday, Greenpeace's genetic hazard patrol confronted a barge shipment from the Rotterdam cargo at the Dutch/German border. The cargo was then tracked to a processing mill in Mainz in Southern Germany, also owned by ADM. Yesterday (Thursday), Greenpeace held up the unloading of the soya at the mill. At the mill the soya was processed into oil and animal fodder, and Greenpeace shadowed tankers taking the oil to Austria. Greenpeace is currently tracking four other trucks throughout Austria.

"No consumers in Europe should be force-fed genetically engineered food," said campaigner Michelle Sheather. "The grain companies have the capability to provide non-genetic crops and food through segregation of GE and conventional grains. They should immediately introduce this process. Consumer don't even know what they are eating. One year after the first major shipments of genetically engineered soya arrived into Europe from the US, the European Commission still has no labelling policy."

Greenpeace anounced recently it was continuing to trace movements of genetically engineered crops in order to highlight the risks to the environment and human health.

---

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Michelle Sheather, Greenpeace International campaigner, tel: +31 6 5350 4775

James Gillies, Greenpeace International press office, tel: +31 20 524 9548

---