GENETICALLY
MODIFIED FOOD
Are you sure what
you are eating is not genetically modified? Half the time it is impossible
to find out and you would think that, by just reading the label you could
avoid genetically modified (GM) food, this however is untrue. In the U.K the
shops and supermarkets are now required by law to clearly label food containing
GM ingredients such as soya and maize as a main ingredient, but because the
relatively new law excludes GM food derivatives, such as lecithin (from soya),
starch, glucose and dextrose (from maize, foods that contain these ingredients
do not need to be labelled. The same goes for emulsifiers found in cakes,
bread, chocolate, crisps, animal feed and vegetable oils.
In many countries for example Norway GM food is banned totally, Cyprus however
has no law barring GM foods. Some years ago GM tomato and potato seeds found
their way into Cyprus and were planted so today you are probably eating GM
food without even knowing it! The Department of Agriculture Animal Husbandry
has said that the Petra tomato is indeed genetically modified and it is grown
here in Cyprus, all over Europe and the U.S.
What does
genetically modified mean?
Genetic modification is a set of techniques used to select a gene for a specific
desired trait in a plant or animal and transfer it into another plant or animal.
For example a gene, which makes a plant resistant to a particular pest, can
be selected and transferred to a second plant, making the new crop also resistant
to that pest.
Research
In 1999 a professor at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen claimed his
research showed that rats that were given GM potatoes, sustained damage to
their immune system and internal organs, but unfortunately his studies were
gagged. The need for more research into the effects GM food has on humans
is needed, before more enters the food chain. Major political heads such as
Tony Blair in the UK, says that there is no scientific evidence to justify
a GM food ban and in doing so would harm ‘an important new industry’,
that would be fine if there was proof that it did no harm to humans.
What’s
not genetically modified?
Organic standards ban the use of GM organisms in organic food, so when you
buy organic food, you can be sure that that NO GM ingredients would have been
used in the production of the food at any stage. There are also many brand
names and supermarkets that have taken action against GM food. Frozen food
chain Iceland was the first one to guarantee that there are no GM ingredients
in their own brand products. You can purchase Iceland products in the freezer
section of Orphanides where they have a large selection of frozen organic
vegetables such as mushrooms, diced onions, sliced carrots, carrots and swede
mixed, corn, corn on the cob, green beans, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, peas
and petit pois. Perhaps someone should consider opening a franchise of the
shop here.
By August 1st any foods carrying the Vegetarian Society symbol must be GM free, except for the vegetarian cheese produced by using cymosin (GM derived). Recent evidence suggests that some organic products contain GM traces, this is probably due to cross-contamination by GM crops during the growing, transportation or manufacturing stage of soya.
Pros and
cons of GM foods
Some of the main arguments from both sides are presented here.
|
For |
Against |
|
| GM manipulation is said to boost vitamins and lower fat contents of foods. |
It is ethically and morally wrong to play God with nature.
|
|
| Crops can be made drought and pest resistant and thus ease famine in developing countries. | Increased use of pesticides will reduce the number of insects and wild flower seeds for birds to eat, which can lead to the extinction of some species. | |
| Stringent regulations are in place to test GM Foods, so it is unlikely that they are harmful. | We don’t know what the long- term effects are on people, animals, or the environment. | |
Friends of the Earth Cyprus are actively involved in demanding the ban of GM food in Cyprus, they have campaigned in the streets using a huge ‘bee’, held talks and lectures and given out press releases. They also produce a quarterly newsletter called ‘Link’ with all the latest information.
What
you can do to avoid GM food.
Ask your supermarket/retailer to stop buying GM products and buy only organic
products.
Organic shops
An Apple a Day, Panayi Lappa 29c, Tel 05-737320
The Nature Doctor, Haket Street 44, Larnaka, Tel 04-665900. Telephone ordering
and delivery service available.
Natures Way, 4a Marathonos Street, Enkomi, Macedonitissa, Nicosia, Tel 02-356153
Telephone ordering and delivery available.
Further information
Friend of the Earth Tel 05-347042, e-mail
foearth@spidernet.com.cy