Alan Rock position on food labeling

[Guest guest]

>

> Below is our media release in response to Alan Rock's statements on

> mandatory labelling and how they relate to tomorrow's

> cross-country chapter actions.

>

> best wishes and thanks again to all who are participating in tomorrow's

> actions.

>

> vgc

>

> Victoria Gibb-Carsley

> Organizing Coordinator

> The Council of Canadians

> e-mail: vgibb-carsley

> phone: 613-233-4487 x 228

> toll free: 1-800-387-7177

> fax: 613-233-6776

> web site: www.canadians.org

>

>

> Jennifer Story

> October 5, 2001 1:07 PM

> Council of Canadians

> Cc: 'gene_allies'

> Will Loblaws join Rock??

>

>

>

> Media Release

>

> For Immediate Release Friday,

> October 5, 2001

>

>

> Rock supports mandatory labelling:

>

> Council of Canadians pressures Loblaws to join him

>

>

> Ottawa - Energized by Health Minister Alan Rock's comments yesterday in

> support of mandatory labelling, the

> Council of Canadians will be handing out information to grocery shoppers

> tomorrow in front of Loblaws-owned

> stores across the nation. They will be talking to shoppers about Bill

> C-287, a Private Member's Bill currently

> before the House of Commons, which calls for the mandatory labelling of

> all genetically engineered (GE) foods.

>

> The Council of Canadians will also be talking to shoppers about their

> strong opposition to Loblaws' recent

> decision to force its suppliers to remove all GE-free labels from their

> products.

>

> " 36 countries around the world have or are pursuing mandatory labelling

> laws, " says Nadège Adam, Biotech

> Campaigner for the Council of Canadians. " Loblaws likes to think of

> themselves as a trendsetter. On labelling,

> the Health Minister is now out front, while Loblaws is sadly lagging

> behind. "

>

> Activists across the country vowed today to continue pressuring Loblaws

> to publicly support mandatory

> labelling, and to go further in removing GE ingredients from their

> products.

>

> " We've been picketing their stores since 1999 and we will continue until

> Loblaws does the right thing, " affirms

> Ramona Ryan in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

>

> " Loblaws should be joining the Health Minister this week in supporting

> the current bill on mandatory labelling, "

> says Sue Mander of Toronto, " They can be certain that we will keep after

> them until they do. "

>

> " Our food supply has been tampered with without our knowledge or

> consent, " says Victor Lau of Regina. " As

> long as Loblaws continues to stick its head in the sand, we will

> continue to go to their customers and inform

> them of the company's opposition to labelling. "

>

> " We are glad to hear that Minister Rock has improved his position, " says

> Elsie Dean from Vancouver. " We can

> only hope that now Mr. Weston will also come to his senses and support

> mandatory labelling. "

>

>

> Council chapters in the following communities will be picketing Loblaws

> stores on Saturday:

>

> Nova Scotia: Halifax, South Shore Ontario: Sault-Ste-Marie, Owen Sound,

> Peterborough, Peel Region, Niagara, Toronto,

> London, Cambridge, Hamilton, Guelph, Brockville, Windsor Quebec:

> Montreal Saskatchewan: Saskatoon, Regina Alberta: Red

> Deer British Columbia: Vancouver, North Shore, Coquitlam, Kamloops,

> Richmond

>

> - 30 -

>

> For more information: Nadège Adam, Biotech Campaigner, ph: (613)

> 233-4487, ext. 245, cell: (613) 295-0432

>

>

> Jennifer Story

> Media Officer

> Council of Canadians

> [613] 233.4487 x.234

> [613] 233.6776 fax

> [613] 795.8685 cell

> 1.800.387.7177 toll free

> http://www.canadians.org