News | October '07 | GM pie 'n' a pint
Trading Standards Officers in York and North Yorkshire have recently taken time out to visit cafes, takeaways, pubs, restaurants and hotels to establish the extent to which GM-sourced oils for cooking were being used, and whether the public was being informed.
As many as one in four were using GM oils, and 94 per cent of these were not telling their customers.
GM soya and corn oil are legally available for sale and may be used provided their presence is made clear at the point of sale.
The survey revealed that owners were either ignorant of the law, or had not carried out proper checks of the raw materials they were using. When informed of the error, most traders chose to change to a non-GM source of oil.
The problem of GM cooking-oil oozing its way into food from catering outlets was highlighted by GM Watch back in December 2006. Attention was drawn to the problem of identification, since the GM labels appear in very small print on very large cans. The maximum penalty on conviction for failure to disclose the use of GM ingredients is £20,000.
A Lib-Dem Councillor who serves as executive member for neighbourhood services in York is quoted as suggesting that “Any consumers who are at all concerned regarding the inclusion of GM food should specifically ask the caterers when ordering their food whether it is GM, or sourced from a GM origin. The law requires the owner to provide an honest answer.”
And, by the way, while you're tucking into your pie, beans and GM fries, spare a thought for your pint. The makers of Budweiser beer have let illegal, genetically engineered (Liberty Link) American rice contaminate their brew. Budweiser is an international brand exported to 60 countries worldwide. Its controlling company, Anheuser-Busch, is the largest single purchaser of rice in America. It buys a staggering six to ten percent of the entire annual US rice harvest.
OUR COMMENT
The York Councillor's suggestion is worrying. It shouldn't be up to customers to grill the staff of every cafe, takeaway, pub, restaurant and hotel about its food safety practices every time they want a quick bite to eat. After all, that's what your local Trading Standards Officers are trained and paid to do. In light of the findings in York, all local authorities should now be taking steps to check that caterers in their area are obeying the law on GM use and labelling. You might give your local Trading Standards Office a call and suggest it is time for some random checks for compliance.
Many responsible caterers already have GM-free policies and always advertise the fact. You can encourage this habit by avoiding premises which don't make such a declaration, and make sure you tell them politely why.
If you are thinking of switching your tipple from beer to wine, check out GM WINE – News, August 2007 and FROG-SKIN WINE – News, October 2007.
And your national drink? So far, that's not been adulterated, but there are ongoing projects to develop GM barley.
Greenpeace have an open letter to Budweiser which you might like to sign: www.greenpeace.org/international/news/budweiser-rice-contamination071008
SOURCES
- www.thisisyork.co.uk 7.08.07
- GM Watch 7.12.06
- Greenpeace 8.10.07