Launching the Feed me the Truth campaign, umbrella group GM Freeze ranked supermarkets against a five-star standard on their policy commitment to supporting and developing non-GM supply lines; on the information they provide to consumers; and on the availability of non GM-fed products in their stores. A shocking nine out of ten performed so poorly they received a zero rating with no non GM-fed products available outside their organic ranges and no plans to do better. Only Waitrose bucked the trend, scoring two of a possible five stars.
In February this year David Hughes, Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, shocked a farming conference by declaring that “We find it convenient not to make a big noise about [GM animal feed]”]. A new YouGov poll shows just how successful that strategy of keeping consumers in the dark has been. Supermarkets across the UK imposed well-publicised bans on GM feed in the production of own-brand products until 2013. Now that has all changed but only a fifth of adults in Great Britain (21%) are aware that no UK supermarket currently has such a ban in place. Almost a third (31%) believe that at least one supermarket has a ban and a whopping 48% of respondents simply “don’t know”.
GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill explains why it matters. “The GM crops being fed to our farm animals are grown in ways that harm people, animals and the environment. These crops aren’t allowed to be grown in the UK and many people don’t want anything to do with them.
“GM ingredients have to be labelled so consumers can vote with their wallets but GM animal feed is completely hidden from view, despite strong public support for labelling of GM-fed products. It has taken experienced campaigners weeks of correspondence to get a straight answer out of some of the supermarkets and in most cases that answer is that GM feed is being used across the board. Consumers who want to choose food produced responsibly, fairly and sustainably don’t stand a chance.”
The Feed me the Truth campaign has awarded two stars to Waitrose and a zero rating to Aldi, Asda, the Co-operative, Iceland, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
ORC is a member of GM Freeze.
