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Biotech / Medical : Monsanto Co. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1670)	3/17/1999 7:01:00 PM
From: Dan Spillane	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2539

How can you scientifically assess food to be free of genetic modifications, when science proves all ag products are genetically modified? There seems to be a problem with this strategy. Or is it just me? At least they aren't afraid to say the reason for this lie is they want to go after the the US. Big trade war coming! "The consortium will be working with farmers and producers to find a supply of ingredients that can be scientifically assessed to prove that they are GM-free. It will introduced into our own-brand ranges as soon as possible." Message 8374692

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1670)	3/17/1999 8:40:00 PM
From: Dan Spillane	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2539

The writing is on the wall...and the soya in Tony Blair's frontyard! A good sign in the UK: they are finger pointing! They are finally trying to figure out what happened. When will the investigation of Greenpeace's subversive campaign begin? I can't wait. ...I noticed the Greenpeace link has disappeared from the BBC Online webpage...is this a coincidence? Look at this quote: "But this view is not taken by many groups that claim to represent the public opinion, he said." (full story) BBC 3/17 Accusations fly over GM food fears GM giants showed "lack of consideration" for public fears A government advisory panel has blamed genetically-modified (GM) food giants and the European Commission (EC) for growing public fears about GM products The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) said the biotechnology companies picked the wrong products on which to pioneer GM technology. 'Lack of concern' The chairman, Professor John Beringer, said in ACRE's annual report that it is "incomprehensible" that the first fruits of a "new and potentially very frightening technology" were herbicide-tolerant crops. He said he believed the GM crops on the market pose no greater threat to safety than traditional varieties. Supermarkets are promising unmodified foods But this view "is not taken by many groups that claim to represent the public opinion", he said. And in a written reply to the Commons Science and Technology Committee, he blamed the EC for handling applications to market GM products in an "extraordinarily inefficient way". This led to long delays in getting new processes approved and engendered a "climate in which the public perceives there are serious risks", he said. He said bigger trials were needed in Britain, not to prove safety - which he did not think was a problem - but to give "confidence". 'Britons not stupid' The head of another government advisory panel on GM foods has denied that she thought Britons were too ill-informed to be given the choice over whether to eat them. Janet Bainbridge, head of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, told a cross-party parliament committee. "I have always stood for public education and clear labelling." Two weeks ago, the boss of frozen-food chain Iceland said Ms Bainbridge had told him: "The average person has not got the least understanding about GM food. Why should we give them a choice?" "I refute that absolutely categorically," said Ms Bainbridge. Supermarkets lead fight But supermarkets have been quick to acknowledge public alarm about GM foods. On Wednesday, Safeway strengthened its stance against GM technology, saying it would replace any GM ingredients in Safeway products. This followed Sainsbury's announcement that it had set up a consortium of European supermarkets to ensure no genetically altered ingredients make it into their own-label products. Marks & Spencer has also said it will stop selling genetically modified food. Asda has said it wants its own-label range of products to be free of modified ingredients, and Tesco said it will clearly label GM products. news.bbc.co.uk