Mothers Outraged At NZ Governments Stance On GM

Mothers Against Genetic Engineering in Food and the Environment (MAdGE) are appalled at the NZ Government's decision to join a US action designed to force the European Union to lift its five-year moratorium on GM foods under World Trade Organisation rules.

Madge founder, Alannah Currie said today "We are disgusted and outraged at the New Zealand government's decision to get on board America's sinking GM Titanic. Forcing European mothers to accept these new novel foods that have not yet been proven safe to either children or adults is despicable! This is another example of America using bully-boy tactics trying to force-feed the world GM food. We will not buy it and we certainly will not be feeding it to our families. “

"When Prime Minister Helen Clark asserts that the action is designed to make sure trading partners implement food standards based on "thorough scientific evidence and risk analysis" she is grossly misleading the New Zealand public." Says Kate Woodd, legal spokesperson for Madge. "The reality is that there is no thorough, and certainly not independent, scientific evidence and risk analysis being carried out on GM foods to prove they're safe to eat. Until there is, the EU is taking the most responsible stance on behalf of its consumers and the industry and New Zealand should be doing the same."

Madge believes New Zealand should be extending our own GE moratorium until independent scientific evidence proves that releasing GMOs and eating it will not damage human-health and the environment and that all GM sourced foods and ingredients sold in New Zealand are properly labelled as containing GM ingredients.

Evidence overseas supports Madge's stance on this issue. British scientific researchers at Newcastle University demonstrated for the first time last year that genetically modified DNA from crops containing anti-biotic resistance marker genes or viruses can find its way into human gut bacteria after even just one meal, raising potentially serious health problems and the risk of new diseases being created. (The Guardian, July 2002) Britains’ Medical Research Council also revealed last year that new genes inserted into food could provoke allergic reactions and alter human DNA, switching on potentially harmful ‘silent genes’.

The Royal Society has recommended that the health effects of genetically modified foods be rigorously investigated before allowing them into baby food or to be marketed to pregnant or breastfeeding women. (The Guardian, Feb 2002)

Scottish scientists are also suggesting a lightly cooked thick fillet steak could contain active GM material putting you at increased risk of colon cancer if the cow has been fed on GM stock-feed. (The Sunday Herald, Britain, 8/12/02)

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