GREENPEACE WELCOMES DECISION TO THROW OUT GE FOOD LABELLING PLAN

Brussels, 15 January 1998

Greenpeace welcomed today's decision to turn down a plan from the European Commission for limited labelling of genetically engineered food products. The Regulation was rejected by The Standing Committee on Food Safety and will now have to go before the full Council of Ministers.

Greenpeace and the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC) had strongly criticised the proposed new Regulation. Under the scheme, around 95 per cent of products which could be derived from genetically modified soybeans and maize would not come under the scheme .

"The Commission is trying to fool European consumers," said Greenpeace Campaigner Benny Haerlin. "This labelling plan is dishonest. Ninety-five per cent of products are excluded from the scheme whether they contain genetically engineered products or not." For many of the products which do come under the scheme, a meaningless label `may contain' genetically modified produce, would be added.

"In any case, this so-called labelling regulation would do no more than industry itself -- inlcuding Unilever, Nestle and Danone -- has already agreed to voluntarily," added Haerlin.

Under the new Regulation, only a minority of GE products would have to be labelled as "produced from genetically modified soya" (or maize). These are products where the manipulated DNA itself or proteins altered by the manipulation can be traced with present methods of analysis. This would not include major supermarket items such as soya oil, margarine and chocolate.

The Regulation would exclude all food additives, flavourings and extraction solvents from any labelling requirements. Even products where genetically engineered DNA can be detected would not have to be labelled if the engineered component, such as soya lecitihin, is considered a food additive and not a food ingredient.

The Regulation only applies to products of Monsanto's genetically engineered soya and Novartis' genetically engineered maize, which do not fall under the Novel Food Regulation as they had been approved prior to its adoption. However these specific labelling regulations are widely seen as the precedent for general labelling provisions under the Novel Food Regulation, still to be presented by the Commission.

Greenpeace demands the segregation of genetically engineered and normal crops, and a proper labelling system tracing genetically modified products from source. The organisation has presented a simple and clear scheme for labelling including an easy to recognize logo. Just this week one of the world's top grain traders, Central Soya, anounced it had already imported into Europe two shiploads of segregated traditional soya which had been segregated in North America. Other traders have been claiming it was impossible to segregate. Central soya said it could satisfy presently known demand for GE-free soya.

---

For further information contact:

Benedikt Haerlin, ++49 30 308 899-16;
Louise Gale, Greenpeace European Unit, ++ 32 2 280 1400.
On GE-free supply of soya, contact Jan Hulevad,
Greenpeace Denmark on ++45 33 93 8660