| - A week after the moratorium on the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms was lifted, New Zealand's heavy-hitter supermarket chains are falling over themselves to claim the most anti-GE stance.
Yesterday Foodstuffs - the power behind New World, Pak 'N Save, Four Square and Write Price supermarkets - announced it was "going GM free".
Managing director Tony Carter said it was checking all its house brands products did not contain genetically-modified ingredients.
However, Progressive Enterprises - which owns Foodtown, Woolworths, Countdown and Price Chopper, and the franchise for FreshChoice and SuperValue - today set out to "remind" customers of its long-time GE-free stance on its own brands.
Supermarket giants keen to claim GE-Free title
November 6, 2003
Royal Society News
A week after the moratorium on the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms was lifted, New Zealand's heavy-hitter supermarket chains are falling over themselves to claim the most anti-GE stance.
Yesterday Foodstuffs - the power behind New World, Pak 'N Save, Four Square and Write Price supermarkets - announced it was "going GM free".
Managing director Tony Carter said it was checking all its house brands products did not contain genetically-modified ingredients.
However, Progressive Enterprises - which owns Foodtown, Woolworths, Countdown and Price Chopper, and the franchise for FreshChoice and SuperValue - today set out to "remind" customers of its long-time GE-free stance on its own brands.
Managing director Ted van Arkel said the company's non-GE policy for private label brands dated back to November 2001.
"Quite frankly we are well ahead of the game on this score," he told NZPA.
"It's good for consumers to see other supermarkets following suit."
The policy had been prompted by consumer concerns and discussions with Greenpeace, he said.
The company worked with existing and potential suppliers to ensure none of the Signature Range and Basics products contained ingredients from GE crops.
Greenpeace had given the company an "orange" rating, which means it was "okay", Mr van Arkel said.
"Ultimately we hope to go 'green' (which stands for 'perfectly okay') but we rely on manufacturers and where they source their ingredients from.
"We've clearly stated what our policy is that's what we're working on."
Source: Agnet |
