Food giants join GM ban
28 April 1999
Food giants join GM ban
By FWi staff
TESCO and Unilever have become the latest food giants to announce they are to remove genetically modified (GM) ingredients from their products.
Tesco, the countrys biggest retailer, reached its decision after a customer survey reported that one in four wanted GM products removed from the shelves.
Unilever, the worlds largest food processor, introduced the ban in response to the wishes of “a growing number of consumers in the UK”.
The move means all of Britains major supermarket chains now have policies which favour GM-free ingredients and discriminate against GM products.
And it further undermines government reassurances about the safety of GM foods, according to The Independent newspaper.
The Daily Mail describes the announcement as a “victory for consumers”.
Tesco “sat on the fence on the issue, while Unilever had been among the most enthusiastic supporters of GM products,” reported the newspaper.
The Express said: “The moves represent major triumphs for The Express Safe Food campaign and are devastating blows to the biotech industry.”
Tesco revealed it was working with Greenpeace to remove GM ingredients just hours after Cabinet Minister Jack Cunningham defended the technology.
Unilever owns Birds Eye Walls and Van den Bergh Foods, making it the manufacturer of Vesta curries and Beanfeast ready meals.