GE Fed Chickens Cannot Be Called GE Free

GE Fed Chickens Cannot Be Called GE Free

Auckland, Tuesday, 9 Sept 2003, 5.30pm: Greenpeace responded to Inghams claims today that chickens fed on GE feed are GE free, as absolutely misleading. Mike Rozen of Inghams claims that “The use of this [GE] feed does not compromise the absolute GM-free status of livestock or livestock products.”

“This is a ridiculous assertion and may well be a breach of the Fair Trading Act to claim that an animal product raised on soy containing 85% GE beans (1) is GE free,” said Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel.

Mr Rozen also questioned the availability of non-GE soy when in fact certified non-GE is readily available on the international market and is widely used in Europe and by New Zealand poultry company Tegel, in response to public preference for non-GE fed animal products (2).

Greenpeace shut down the Inghams feed mill in Hamilton for four hours today in protest at Inghams use of GE feed. There was one arrest and five activists including two women climbers are to be summonsed to answer charges in relation to the non-violent protest.

Growing genetically engineered crops threatens conventional production and the environment, and GE foods are insufficiently tested and unwanted.

(1) Roundup Ready soy DNA content, in relation to the total soy DNA of this [Inghams] sample, is 85% (+/- 10%), AgriQuality, 10 June 2003. Full results can be viewed at: www.greenpeace.org.nz/campaigns/ge

(2) Independent research done for Tegel found that 75% of consumers wanted chickens that had not been fed GE soy meal, NZ Herald, 29 August 2001.

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