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Thursday, June 26, 2008
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GM Food Benefits? Consumers Wont Swallow it

UK - Food industry leaders, alongside politicians, have begun to lobby for GM acceptance in Europe, which may help dying livestock industries thrive once more. However, there is a long way to go yet in changing consumer perceptions.

According to the Dairy Reporter, Peter Brabeck, chairman for Nestle, has called loudly for Europe to reassess its GM policy to help combat the dwindling food supplies and soaring commodity prices.

And he is not the only food industry big-wig to take this stance. Ian Ferguson, chairman for Tate & Lyle and president of the UK's Food and Drink Federation has long been a GM advocate, hoping to foster fair debate on the rapidly progressing technology.

Last week it was the turn of the politicians, reported the Dairy Reporter. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain should step up its GM acceptance, encouraging the end to the zero tolerance on feed shipments, which currently sees entire batches containing traces of GM material sent back.

On a European level, opinion is divided among member states, leading to inconsistencies and slow approval processes. While some hail GM as the answer, current decisions on certain GM materials are not upheld by some countries.

Since the first approval of GM maize 10 years ago, there are still countries refusing to grow it, and it remains the only crop cultivated in Europe.

  • View the Dairy Reporter story by clicking here.

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