Chocolate Buyers Should Avoid Nestle, Not Toblerone

["Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

CHOCOLATE BUYERS SHOULD AVOID NESTLE NOT TOBLERONE: GREENPEACE

ZURICH-- 27 March 1997--As Easter approaches Greenpeace today warned
that traditional Easter chocolates,  including those made by Nestle, 
could contain genetically engineered materials but emphasised the
Toblerone brand does not contain these materials. 

A chocolate scare hit Switzerland this week as chocolate manufacturer
Kraft Jacob Suchard  had to recall 500 tonnes of its famous Toblerone
chocolate after a spot-check by government authorities discovered the
lecithin it was made with contained genetically engineered (GE) soya
beans. The company had been told by its suppliers that the lecithin
was free of GE soya (The use of GE soya beans had been illegal in food
production until a Swiss government decision on Tuesday). The scare
has led to retailers in Austria, Sweden and Germany rejecting
Toblerone chocolate.    

About 95% of the contaminated Toblerone was for the Swiss market and
that has all been withdrawn from sale.  The remaining five percent,
for export,  was either stopped at the border or was being  collected.

"Greenpeace is now satisfied that Toblerone is GE free.  Kraft Jacob
Suchard has taken highly responsible action in recalling its GE
contaminated stock, " said Stefan Weber of Greenpeace Switzerland.
Kraft Jacob Suchard has also committed not to use genetically altered
soya beans in its chocolate despite the Swiss government decision on
Tuesday to disallow a legal challenge by consumer and environment
groups against the use of GE materials  in food production. (These
groups are taking their case to the Swiss Supreme Court) . However the
remainder of the Swiss chocolate industry,  such as Nestle,  have
refused to make a similar commitment and therefore their products
could potentially be contaminated with genetically altered soya beans.

  "Consumers need to be aware that it is not Kraft's Toblerone which
  is the problem -- it is chocolate made by other companies such as
  Nestle, who have not listened to consumers and who are continuing to
  use GE soy in their food," Weber said.

Weber said that companies like Nestle were hiding behind the excuse
that they could not find any GE free lecithin or substitute product.
However Greenpeace understands that a shipment of GE-free soya beans
from Brazil wll shortly be coming to Europe. 

"The responsibility is up to the legislators to properly control
genetic engineering," Weber said. 

For information:  
Stefan Weber Greenpeace Switzerland 00-411-4474141  mobile -
0041-79-4056820
 Jon Walter Greenpeace International 00-3120-523 6222