GREENPEACE ACCUSES NESTLE OF DOUBLE STANDARDS IN CHINA

3 November 1999

Hong Kong - Greenpeace today accused multinational food manufacturer, Nestle, of double standards in China as the organisation demonstrated outside its plant in Hong Kong. Greenpeace activists presented the Nestle plant manager a letter urging Nestle to adopt a policy that ensures no use of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients.

"Nestle policy to offer GE free products for the British consumers and at the same time feed GE food to Chinese is unacceptable," said Lo Sze Ping, Greenpeace GE campaigner in China. "As the calls for labelling in Chinese government grow stronger, the manufacturers can no longer benefit from the ignorance of consumers."

Greenpeace revealed on Monday that two of Nestle's products, fresh soya milk and beancurd dessert, marketed under the brand name 'Pak Fook', contained Monsanto's Roundup Ready soya. Greenpeace tested ten different food products sold in Hong Kong and found three that contained GE components.

The third product found to contain GE materials was Vitasoy Fresh Soya Milk. Soon after Greenpeace published the test results, Vitasoy declared that it has a GE-free policy and that the contamination is likely to be accidental. "Over 60 per cent of Chinese consumers would prefer non GE food over GE food, according to opinion poll published this week," said Lo. "Nestle is wrong if it thinks that it can continue to maintain lower standards in China than in Europe."

An opinion poll published earlier this week in Hong Kong showed that 64 per cent of Chinese consumers would prefer to buy non GE food products if they had a choice. Eighty-eight per cent think that GE products should be labelled. The poll was conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and commissioned by Greenpeace. Xinhua news agency recently quoted Wang Tao, a member of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, as saying that "since the question of whether the GE food is safe or harmful to human health remains controversial in the world, we should strengthen management of the product through law."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
- Lo Sze Ping, Greenpeace China campaigner, + 852 9043 0966
- Ho Wai Chi, Greenpeace China Executive Director, + 852 9104 6190
- Mika Railo at the Greenpeace International Press Desk,+ 31 20 5249 548