Deep divisions over biotech food ingredients once again evident as
member states fail to approve a gene-altered corn designed by US
biotech giant Monsanto, reports Lindsey Partos.
While acceptance of genetically modified ingredients remains
divided across the globe, recent field trials in China suggest GM
rice could reduce health problems and increase yields in the
burgeoning Chinese market.
GM ingredients are here to stay as Brussels confirms 'full
confidence' in the regulatory framework that controls the entry of
biotech foodstuffs into the European food chain, reports Lindsey
Partos.
The role of GMO food ingredients in European society hits the round
table as the Commission discusses the way forward at a meeting
today in Brussels, reports Lindsey Partos.
The divisive issue of biotech food ingredients starts to gain pace
in China, as environmental group exposes two US food products on
the shelves found to contain a GM ingredient.
Greenpeace Russia has published a list of companies it claims are
using genetically modified (GM) ingredients in foods produced and
sold in Russia, but a lack of funds means that it may not be able
to achieve its goal of spreading...
EU environment experts opt to delay a vote on the entry of a GM
sweetcorn into the European food chain, revealing ongoing divisions
between member states over biotech food ingredients,writes
Lindsey Partos.
Current divisions in Europe over biotech food ingredients
strengthened last week after the Union's food watchdog paves the
way for the cultivation of a GM maize after the first ever risk
assessment for the cultivation of a GM...
With the countdown extended, talks continue this week in Geneva
between the US and Brussels to move the entrenched trade dispute on
genetically modified organisms forward.
GM food ingredients under attack, again, this week as environmental
group accuses Brussels of 'exposing EU states' to risk from
genetically modified corn.
Divisions in Europe over allowing imports of genetically modified
food ingredients clearly in evidence earlier this week when an EU
regulatory committee postponed a vote on the entry of a Monsanto
crop.
Brussels addresses the issue of consumer cynicism and fear of
agricultural biotechnology in European citizens, setting up a
thematic network on the safety risk assessment of genetically
modified food crops, the Entransfood project,...
A third source of GM ingredients could soon be cleared by Europe as
officials meet to discuss to clear approval for a corn designed by
biotech giant Monsanto.
Europe's food watchdog reaffirms the safety of a GM sweetcorn
designed by biotech giant Monsanto on the back of new evidence
submitted by German scientists.
GM starch and corn oil are cleared for use in European food
formulations after Brussels gives the green light on a genetically
modified maize line from US biotech giant Monsanto, reports
Lindsey Partos.
New rules in Europe recently opened the way for market
opportunities of GM food crops but the debate still rattles on with
the focus now turned to the co-existence of GM, organic and
conventional crops with a new UK report claiming...
Pollen from a genetically modified (GM) grass has travelled up to
21 kilometres on the wind before pollinating other grasses, a new
study in the US has found.
For the first time in Europe's history, and in the face of strong
opposition, European countries will be able to grow GM maize in
their fields as Brussels waves through a biotech corn into the EU's
catalogue.
Despite tough new rules on GM food labels, food makers will stick
to non-GM alternatives as new evidence from the UK shows British
consumers will continue to refuse to buy foods containing biotech
ingredients.
A coalition of some of Europe's most vocal campaign groups has
called on the European Commission to rethink a proposal on the
labelling of genetically modified organisms, urging the law makers
to allow Europe's massively...
A major European food science body has asserted this week that
genetic modification has the potential to offer strong benefits -
quantity, quality and acceptability - for the world's food supply.
With the booming population of...
Law makers, consumer groups and industry continue to clash over the
use of GM ingredients in the European food chain, but a major
UK-based food science body asserts this week that genetic
modification has the potential to offer strong...
A genetically modified corn from biotech giant Monsanto will not be
allowed on European dinner plates as ministers fail to give the
green light on the GM food.
Europe rejects the entry of a GM food crop supplied by biotech
giant Monsanto into the food chain with officials from the 25
member states failing to reach a qualified majority at the vote
yesterday.
As Europe continues to relax the rules which for six years have
effectively blocked the development of genetically modified
foodstuffs throughout the EU, new research suggests that the
consumer antipathy towards GM goods - usually...
The European Union has today relaxed its six-year ban on the
approval of new genetically modified foodstuffs, paving the way for
canned GM sweetcorn to hit the supermarket shelves for the first
time. But will the Commission's...
British Retail Consortium dismisses protests made by the campaign
group Greenpeace over "GM milk". The campaign group has
staged a number of protests over the use of GM feed for dairy cows,
but the retail consortium said...
After months of political wranglings GM sweetcorn could be on the
supermarket shelves by the end of the year with the European
Commission poised to end the five year unofficial ban on
genetically modified foods, writes Lindsey Partos.
New sources of GM ingredients are set to enter the European food
supply chain as EU agriculture ministers failed to reach a
qualified majority yesterday on the biotech maize Bt11 and its
entry into the bloc.
A biotech battle will take place in Luxembourg today at a meeting
of EU15 agriculture ministers that could finally mark the end to
the GM ban in Europe, heralding the debut of a raft of GM foods.
Brandishing the banner for genetically modified foods, a leading
scientist this week warns that by 2050 conventional crops will not
be enough to feed the 9 billion mouths.
With stringent rules on the labelling of genetically modified
ingredients entering into force earlier this week, the European
Commission has laid out the framework for the tough new
regulations.
The toughest rules on GM labelling in the world entered into force
yesterday in Europe, extending the mandatory labelling to countless
food products in the supermarkets and heralding in an extensive
paper trail for the food industry.
A political move that will burden the European food industry with
more paperwork than necessary and will send an army of food
manufacturers to rethink their ingredients formulations. So it is
that critics of the incoming rules on...
In under one month European food and beverage manufacturers face an
exponential increase in paperwork as new rules on GM ingredients
come into force, setting up a 'Dante-esque' paper trail for the
tracking of GMOs. The rules...
As increasing numbers of national governments worldwide toy with
new legal frameworks for genetically modified foodstuffs, the
global food labelling body Codex Alimentarius will table the issue
at an upcoming meeting in Montreal.
UK government agrees 'in principle' to the commercial cultivation
of GM maize on UK soil, provoking an angry reaction from consumer
campaigners who claim the recent debate and science review on GM
foods has fallen on deaf...
Favourable news for the pro-GM camp as a team of British scientists
claims that genetically modified (GM) maize is less damaging to
wildlife than conventional varieties. At the same time, leading UK
organisations call on Tony Blair...
Leaked minutes from the UK government show that it is planning to
enforce different levels of GM contamination for different organic
food if GM crops are grown commercially in the UK, says UK organic
body, the Soil Association.
Exporters of genetically modified (GM) food suffered a setback this
week when an international conference on biotech safety agreed to
impose stricter labelling requirements on such products. The US,
which is the largest exporter of...
Monsanto will have to wait a little longer to find out if it will
be granted permission by the European Union authorities to import
its genetically modified (GM) maize NK603 into the trading bloc.
The tide is turning down under with a new poll showing Australians
are increasingly worried about genetically modified foods and the
risk they could pose to human health and the environment.
The UK government has been forced to postpone plans to give the
green light for a GM crop after the devolved assembly of Wales and
the Scottish Parliament refused to cooperate. The Welsh executive
is vociferous in its support of organic...
A wide range of organic or health food products on sale in the UK
contain traces of genetically modified (GM) ingredients, according
to a study due to be published in April, reports CORDIS.
A brewer in Sweden is facing the GM debate head on. The company
claims to have launched the first food product to use genetic
modification as a marketing tool.
An end to Europe's unofficial five-year ban on new biotech crops
could be imminent as the Commission backs proposals to import a new
GM sweetcorn. Ministers in the EU 15 have three months to decide on
the fate of the biotech...
The European Commission held an orientation debate on GM crops
yesterday, hours after proposing to authorise a GM sweet corn BT11
for food use. From the Commission's point of view, a comprehensive
EU regulatory framework on GMOs...
