Genetic Concern to picket foodstores

The environmental group Genetic Concern is to step up its campaign against genetically-modified foods by protesting outside selected supermarkets over the sale of such products. It also claims the products are not adequately labelled.

From this weekend, Genetic Concern members will be distributing information leaflets to shoppers which point out that "foods containing genetically-engineered soya beans and corn are already on our shop shelves".

The campaign's director, Ms Mary O'Donnell, said she was concerned as a mother and consumer about the way this technology was being "foisted on the public without our consent". Those worried about such produce should be given the opportunity to avoid it.

"Independent surveys have shown that in Europe 84 per cent of people want these foods properly labelled. We are encouraging people to take a stance and to lobby for proper choice," she said.

Genetic Concern has rejected the proposed EU labelling regulations and the scheme adopted by the industry group IBEC in advance of the European ones as being "totally inadequate". It claims they are of little use when US producers are not segregating genetically-modified crops from traditional varieties.

The group is mounting a legal challenge to plans by a US company, Monsanto, to grow genetically-modified beet on a trial basis and is citing examples where problems have occurred with such products in the past during the awareness campaign. It is being supported by a group of well-known writers, actors and film-makers.