Associated Press on Web
Gerber Drops Bioengineered Suppliers

Story Filed: Friday, July 30, 1999 9:11 PM EDT

SUMMIT, N.J. (AP) -- Gerber, the nation's largest maker of baby food, will no longer buy genetically engineered corn and soybean products from suppliers.

Gerber's parent company, Novartis AG of Switzerland, said it was considering the move even before the environmental group Greenpeace asked for information about the company's use of bioengineered products. Other baby-food makers have made similar decisions. ``We want a mother to buy our product and have no concerns,'' said Al Piergallini, president and CEO of Novartis' North American consumer health division, based in Summit.

Novartis expects that by the end of September it will no longer be using corn and soybeans that have been genetically altered to be resistant to pests and weedkilling chemicals. Such ingredients account for about half of 1 percent of Gerber's ingredients, and are used mainly in dry cereal, spokeswoman Katherine King said. Novartis also said it would try to use only organic -- pesticide- and herbicide-free -- ingredients in Gerber products. Gerber produces 5.5 million jars per day and has annual worldwide sales of $1 billion.

Greenpeace makes no particular claims that genetically modified foods are dangerous to humans or the environment, arguing only that the health risks are unknown. Novartis officials said they still believe their existing Gerber products are safe. Two other baby-food makers, H.J. Heinz Co. of Pittsburgh and Poway, Calif.-based Healthy Time Natural Foods, have made similar changes. ``It wasn't specifically pressure from any group,'' Heinz spokesman Jack Kennedy said. ``It's really a matter of consumer preference.''

Another major maker of baby food, Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. of St. Louis, uses no modified ingredients, said Dr. Richard Theuer, vice president of research and development. It uses no soy ingredients, removed cornstarch from all foods two years ago, and its corn is from regular seeds, Theuer said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has found no particular health problems with genetically modified agricultural products, concluding that they ``are as safe as other foods in the grocery store.'' But fears have not been allayed in Europe, and some countries refuse to allow the sale of genetically altered corn and soybeans grown in America.

Copyright (C) 1999 Associated Press Information Services, all rights reserved.

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Environmental News Network on web
Gerber ends use of GM ingredients
Wednesday, August 4, 1999

Gerber, the United States' largest producer of baby food, has decided to stop using genetically modified corn, soy and other foods in their baby food products, according to a Wall Street Journal report July 30.

Greenpeace, the international environmental group, hailed this as a move in the right direction in the campaign to raise awareness about the unknown dangers of genetically modified foods. "This is a major step by one of the country's leading food companies in recognition of the growing concern about the safety of these untested foods," said Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Issues Specialist Charles Margulis. Greenpeace did not make any specific claims about the safety of genetically modified foods, but they feel that the health risks have not been fully explored. "Doctors and scientists around the world have warned that genetically engineered foods may not be safe," said Margulis.

Medical experts, including more than 2,000 doctors and health professionals in Germany, from the British Medical Association and the medical journal The Lancet have questioned the safety of genetically engineered foods. "Governments never should have allowed these products into the food chain without insisting on rigorous testing for effects on health," editors of The Lancet wrote recently. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that genetically modified foods are "as safe as other foods in the grocery store."

Earlier this spring, Margulis bought samples of dry and jarred baby foods made by Gerber and other companies from various grocery stores in New York City and sent them to a lab in Britain to test for small amounts of bio-engineered materials. The lab results showed that Gerber's jarred baby food did not contain bio-engineered ingredients, but the dry cereal products did. In May, Margulis faxed a letter to Gerber asking them if they used such ingredients in their baby food, all the while knowing the lab results.

"As you know, there is growing concern around the world about genetically engineered food," said the fax. The letter asked if Gerber used genetically modified foods, if so which ones and what were they doing to avoid including these foods in their products. It also asked that they please respond within the next five business days. Gerber did not meet its deadline. and on June 18 Margulis held a news conference at a New York City restaurant to disclose the results of his report. Margulis admitted that he picked baby food for raising awareness about genetically modified foods because of the emotional issues that would no doubt come into play.

It could be construed that this action by Greenpeace was the cause of Gerber's recent decision. But officials at Novartis, Gerber's parent company based in Switzerland, maintain that this change in policy had been in the works for some time. "It brought to light the use of genetically engineered corn and soy in the dried foods, brought it out in the open," said Sheldon Jones, vice president of communications for Novartis' consumer health division. But, he said, they were already "approaching this anyway."

Craig Winters, executive director of The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods, said that the letter and lab results from Margulis probably had something to do with Gerber's decision. "It might have pushed them over the edge," he said. However, he concurred that there was every indication that Gerber had been moving in this direction away from genetically modified foods, citing the fact that the company had already introduced a line of baby foods containing only organic ingredients.

According to Jones, Gerber believes that genetically modified foods are safe. Their decision to make the change away from bio-engineered ingredients was based on their desire to maintain the trust of their customers. He said that there has not been very much customer concern in the U.S. about the use of genetically modified foods, "but that is coming down the road somewhat."

There has been a strong opposition to genetically modified foods in Europe for some time, and Gerber is well aware of this controversy and of the role that Greenpeace has played in bringing it to the fore. Last summer, Greenpeace confronted Novartis about the presence of bio-engineered ingredients in their Galactina line of baby food sold in Switzerland. As a result, Novartis removed many product lines from the Swiss grocery stores and made a promise to remove genetically modified ingredients from the Galactina foods. Jones said that concerns about genetically modified foods were "not at the level, say, in Europe," but that Gerber was "trying to get in front in case it gets like that."

Ironically, Novartis sells a line of bio-engineered seeds. When asked about this contradiction, Jones said that Gerber and Novartis believe that at some point in time, genetically modified foods will receive a clean bill of health. "The issue will be worked out eventually and parents will come to realize that there are enhancements because of genetically engineered foods," he said, like some foods that, because of genetic engineering, resist insects and therefore do not need to be sprayed with pesticides.

Because some suppliers either grow both genetically modified and non-GM crops or are located near farms that raise genetically modified foods, Gerber stated they cannot guarantee that their baby food will be 100 percent free of bio-engineered ingredients. For instance, pollen from a genetically modified plant stuck to a bee could end up pollinating a plant in a field of non-GM crops, which could therefore contaminate the supply from that field, said Jones.

Gerber plans to use suppliers that do not use genetically modified foods and even ones that grow only organic foods, which can be much more expensive. But Jones said, "There is no indication that this will impact the price."

Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

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Reuters
U.S. Warns Japan Against Making GMO Labels Mandatory

Tuesday July 27 9:54 AM ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States warned Japan Tuesday that if Tokyo implements mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) it could mislead consumers about food safety and disrupt trade. Isi Siddiqui, special assistant for trade to the U.S. agriculture secretary, expressed concern
about possible GMO labeling requirements by Japan when he met senior officials of the Agriculture Ministry
in Tokyo.

``We do not believe that obligatory GMO labeling is necessary, because it would suggest a health risk where
there is none,'' Siddiqui told reporters after the meeting. He added: ``Mandatory labeling could mislead consumers about the safety of these products and require segregation of GMO and non-GMO foods. I fear major trade disruptions and increases in food costs to consumers if Japan requires mandatory labeling.''
Siddiqui also said Japan, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), is obligated to find the least
trade-restrictive way of achieving its objectives. There are a number of ways other than labeling, such as educational materials and public forums, to provide consumers with information on genetic engineering, he said.

Keishiro Fukushima, director-general of the ministry's Food and Marketing Bureau, was quoted by a ministry
spokesman as telling Siddiqui that Japan was considering reliable and practical GMO labeling. But he did not
elaborate on whether it would make labeling mandatory or voluntary. A Japanese government advisory panel on GMO labeling rules will make a final decision by the end of August. Japanese consumer groups have demanded mandatory labeling of gene-altered foods due to concerns of possible health hazards, while the food industry fears the idea could hurt sales.

Japan has approved 22 varieties of genetically engineered crops under its safety guidelines, including
soybeans, corn, rapeseed, potatoes, cotton and tomatoes. Japan is believed to be the world's biggest importer of GMOs as it is heavily dependent on agricultural imports from the United States, the biggest producer of genetically altered crops. U.S. soybeans accounted for 77 percent of Japan's annual soybean imports of 5.06 million tons last year. Japan's Agriculture Ministry estimates GMO soybeans made up about 27 percent of total soybean planted acreage in the United States in 1998.

U.S. corn accounted for 87 percent of total Japanese annual corn imports of 14.7 million tons. The ministry
estimates GMO corn in the United States accounted for 23 to 34 percent of total corn planted acreage in the
United States in 1998.

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