I found out in the last few weeks that since 2013/14 the UK has allowed GM material into food chain via animal feed (i.e maize, soya). Dairy and meat produced from animals that have been fed on GM feed don’t have to be labelled. Therefore the consumer is totally unaware they’re consuming GM material. Both Scotland and Wales have a GM free policy, only England is affected. I’ve been doing a lot of research about this, establishing what products from my regular purchases are affected but the supermarket I’ve been emailing has been evasive at best but I am starting to get clarity.
Is anyone else aware that GM has found its way into our food chain? Any tips or hints for getting around this issue?
Best wishes to all.
Amy, Did you receive a response from the ACNFP?
Ray
Amy, Did you receive a response from the ACNFP?
Ray
No but it's only been a couple of weeks and it is the festive season so...
Market Rejection of GMOs Has Grown
Consumers around the world have become aware of the many problems associated with [url]GE crops[/url] and the [url]toxic herbicides[/url] and used on them, and do not want any of it on their plates.
Unfortunately, once we separate from the EU, then we no longer have EU protection via their food regulations. I cower at the thought of what this might mean in terms of US imports. GM foods are rife there and not labelled.
We may stand a better chance outside the EU.......
Why voting to leave the EU is the only way to keep out GM foods
More shockingly, the leaks also revealed how P[url]resident Obama was blackmailing[/url] the EU to take American’s GM foods, or he would not allow exports of Germany’s cars.
We may stand a better chance outside the EU.......
Why voting to leave the EU is the only way to keep out GM foods
More shockingly, the leaks also revealed how P[url]resident Obama was blackmailing[/url] the EU to take American’s GM foods, or he would not allow exports of Germany’s cars.
Well that is one person's opinion and I notice she has an app to promote.
However I will ask Greenpeace and Friends Of The Earth if we stand a better chance of controlling GM imports on leaving the EU. I will let you know, unless you know their answer already?
That app is really good, I have it and used it a lot.
Yes if you would contact Greenpeace and Friends that would be much appreciated. Thanks.
More shockingly, the leaks also revealed how P[url]resident Obama was blackmailing[/url] the EU to take American’s GM foods, or he would not allow exports of Germany’s cars.
Shockingly? It's called 'negotiation'.
We'll end up accepting GMOs, not because of governments, but because of supermarkets. They are the ones that make the rules these days.
Shockingly? It's called 'negotiation'.
We'll end up accepting GMOs, not because of governments, but because of supermarkets. They are the ones that make the rules these days.
Well supermarkets listen to consumers and GM foods are now on the wane in terms of consumer's 'appetite' for them.
Well supermarkets listen to consumers and GM foods are now on the wane in terms of consumer's 'appetite' for them.
One of the top supermarkets (beginning with 'S') have removed GM ingredients from their own brand products.
One of the top supermarkets (beginning with 'S') have removed GM ingredients from their own brand products.
Also the one starting with M... (not M & S). I think we are allowed to mention the names though aren't we?
Also the one starting with M... (not M & S). I think we are allowed to mention the names though aren't we?
I wasn't sure if it was breaking forum rules to mention a supermarket by name - perhaps a moderator could clarify. It would help if we could to bring clarity to the discussion,
Ray
Well supermarkets listen to consumers and GM foods are now on the wane in terms of consumer's 'appetite' for them.
You think so? Supermarkets sell what they want to - that is, what makes them most profit. They only care about consumers desires when consumers have an alternative to supermarkets, which only occurs until the small town centre shops have been put out of business. If we really wanted to opt out of the industrial machine, we'd stop using supermarkets.
The removal of GM foods from one supermarket is because, at the moment, there's still enough alternatives. If it's happening. In 1999, Sainsbury's promised to remove GMOs. In 2013 they were exposed as not having done so and in 2014 they declared it "too expensive". I'd like a link to where they are now, please, if anyone has such a thing.
You think so? Supermarkets sell what they want to - that is, what makes them most profit. They only care about consumers desires when consumers have an alternative to supermarkets, which only occurs until the small town centre shops have been put out of business. If we really wanted to opt out of the industrial machine, we'd stop using supermarkets.
The removal of GM foods from one supermarket is because, at the moment, there's still enough alternatives. If it's happening. In 1999, Sainsbury's promised to remove GMOs. In 2013 they were exposed as not having done so and in 2014 they declared it "too expensive". I'd like a link to where they are now, please, if anyone has such a thing.
Supermarkets do heed customers if they can't sell products! However, most supermarkets are going back on their stance on GMs.
In the last century, when GM started to become known, I helped to spearhead an umbrella environmental group to bring about public awareness of this worrying issue. People started voting with their feet and shunning GM products in supermarkets and supermarkets started withdrawing these products.
I did fairly recent research into what supermarkets stock and they replied in emails, i.e. can't find info online to link to you and those emails are now no longer in my deleted list. Nothing to stop you finding out directly, like I did though!
Supermarkets do heed customers if they can't sell products!
Sadly, many people have no choice but to use supermarkets. Out here, in rural Wales, I cannot buy vegetables other than at the Co-op or - once a week, an hour's drive away - a market where the stall 'thinks' the produce is okay' but, since it all comes from a wholesaler, is unable to tell. No chance of organic.
I have time and space to grow my own. Not everyone is in this position.
I emailed Sainsbury recently about GM food and they said that had taken the decision to not include GM ingredients in their own brand products. Good news. But I asked them if that included products made from secondary GM material and they avoided answering me clearly. I had to go back several times until it was apparent that this did not include secondary GM.
Have you read Shopped by Joanna Blythman? Read it and never use a supermarket again! (Difficult. Impossible for some.)
Have you read Shopped by Joanna Blythman? Read it and never use a supermarket again! (Difficult. Impossible for some.)
I have read one of her previous books - "The food we eat"
I see she wrote a book on GM food "How to avoid GM food" but it is very likely to no longer apply since it came out in 1999.
'Shopped' is now 11 years old but maybe a lot of the info still applies. Here is a link to that book whereby you can read quite a lot of it from clicking on "first pages" (left column). It goes to the right page after showing the initial look of the book, i.e. wait for the 2nd screen.
I have read one of her previous books - "The food we eat"
I see she wrote a book on GM food "How to avoid GM food" but it is very likely to no longer apply since it came out in 1999.
'Shopped' is now 11 years old but maybe a lot of the info still applies. Here is a link to that book whereby you can read quite a lot of it from clicking on "first pages" (left column). It goes to the right page after showing the initial look of the book, i.e. wait for the 2nd screen.
Yes, there's little mention of Morrison's and quite a lot about Safeway's. But the practices have not changed - just that even more suppliers have been driven to bankruptcy and suicide!
I found this today - the latest on GM free foods in supermarkets (quite bleak) i.e. as of 20 Feb 2017. I see Sainsburys has done a u-turn...hmmm.
I have also heard back from Greenpeace and Foe re. GM once we leave EU. I asked whether we might have more control or less. No clear answer either way; Greenpeace sent back a standard reply saying they were too busy to answer my email i.e. individually. They said they are currently pursuing GM in Europe, as are Foe - not just UK.
I'm not sure if that first part of your post, underlined, is a link? I would like to see what the Sainsbury's 'u turn' is.
Disappointing but not surprising responses from the other two but thanks for the effort.
Ray
I'm not sure if that first part of your post, underlined, is a link? I would like to see what the Sainsbury's 'u turn' is.
Disappointing but not surprising responses from the other two but thanks for the effort.
Ray
No - underlined links are in bold i.e. unlike my post.
The link is the one in blue font which refers to the supermarket's own brands.
Sainsbury's u turn is that it now no longer is GM free in its own brands.
Are you referring to the table? If it's not organic, it won't be GM free, that's clear and that's not new. I can't see where it says that their own non organic brands are no longer GM free.
Thanks for this, Amy.
Bear in mind that, although Soil Association Organic is GM free, what constitutes the supermarkets' own brand 'Organic' is decided by the individual supermarkets. This may not be a problem at the moment but we probably won't be informed when it becomes so.
Are you referring to the table? If it's not organic, it won't be GM free, that's clear and that's not new. I can't see where it says that their own non organic brands are no longer GM free.
This is confusing. If organic own brands are GM free then this is no news at all, i.e. why would it even be declared as GM free when this is obvious?
A supermarket's own brands constitute more than just organic food, i.e. mostly not and so they WERE previously GM free but now not!
If organic own brands are GM free then this is no news at all, i.e. why would it even be declared as GM free when this is obvious?
A supermarket's own brands constitute more than just organic food, i.e. mostly not and so they WERE previously GM free but now not!
All supermarkets, at the moment, Are saying their own brand organic is GM free. Probably they say this to advertise, but as you say it's meaningless if you're motivated to keep away from GM.
Agreed on your second point and in a recent email exchange with Sainsbury, they told me they don't use GM ingredients in there products. I think that would be fairly easy to achieve as I'm not aware of any pure GM ingredients.
HOwever when I asked them if that included products made from secondary GM material (which is animal products such as milk, eggs where the animal has been fed on GM soy) they tried to evade my question until they regurgitated their usual spiel of only organic can be guaranteed GM free.
SUprmarkets are being evasive about it, they're trying to confuse customers.
This is confusing. If organic own brands are GM free then this is no news at all, i.e. why would it even be declared as GM free when this is obvious?
For the same reason that packets of nuts have a warning on the back saying "Warning! Contains Nuts"
i.e. because there are stupid people out there who love to blame others for their stupidity.
This is confusing. If organic own brands are GM free then this is no news at all, i.e. why would it even be declared as GM free when this is obvious?
Advertising.
SUprmarkets are being evasive about it, they're trying to confuse customers.
Of course.
For the same reason that packets of nuts have a warning on the back saying "Warning! Contains Nuts"
i.e. because there are stupid people out there who love to blame others for their stupidity.
The FSA requires such warnings. Especially the ones which alert those allergic to nuts that the product has been processed in the same place that nuts have been. To blame this on peoples' stupidity, is a little unfair. Besides, even stupidity shouldn't carry a death sentence.
Crowan, my point was simply that some things shouldn't need such labels, especially if the product is the allergen. Only stupid people would try and claim that they weren't warned that the bag of nuts they've just bought contains nuts. That's not being unfair, that's just observation of real life.... I've actually come across such a person who said "Oh I didn't realise it contained ..." when that was the product itself (if I recall, it was a few years ago now, I think it was a bag of mixed nuts and they claimed they didn't realise it contained nuts because it said "mixed" on it - I mean... c'mon! 😀 )
Crowan, my point was simply that some things shouldn't need such labels, especially if the product is the allergen. Only stupid people would try and claim that they weren't warned that the bag of nuts they've just bought contains nuts. That's not being unfair, that's just observation of real life.... I've actually come across such a person who said "Oh I didn't realise it contained ..." when that was the product itself (if I recall, it was a few years ago now, I think it was a bag of mixed nuts and they claimed they didn't realise it contained nuts because it said "mixed" on it - I mean... c'mon! 😀 )
I don't deny that some people are stupid. But if it requires a label to keep them safe (or, at least, to try to do so) then let's have the label. At least it gives the rest of us a laugh. 😉