The Change Mariner: EU: Genetically Modified Food OK To Eat

May 15, 2004

EU: Genetically Modified Food OK To Eat

The European Union's head office said Friday that it would approve a type of genetically modified corn for human consumption, ending a six-year biotech moratorium that the United States has challenged at the World Trade Organization.
European farmers will still be prohibited from growing the Bt11 insect-resistant corn, however. And companies trying to import such foods face an uphill battle in convincing European shoppers that the products are safe.

Under new EU rules that took effect last month, "any import of canned vegetables will have to show clearly on the label in the list of ingredients that the corn has been harvested from a genetically modified plant,'' European Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen said.

That would likely be the kiss of death for any company that tried to sell it in Europe, where genetically modified foods are widely mistrusted and avoided. Many supermarket chains require suppliers to guarantee their products are biotech-free.

Genetically Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature
Park Street Press

Amazon Price: $10.36

Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating
Yes! Books

Amazon Price: $12.21

Dinner at the New Gene Cafe: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the Global Politics of Food
St. Martin's Griffin

Amazon Price: $10.17

Eating in the Dark: America's Experiment with Genetically Engineered Food
Vintage

Amazon Price: $11.20

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