Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 --- News Update from The Campaign > " News Update from The Campaign " > <newsupdate > Genetically engineered beer > Fri, 9 Jul 2004 07:18:00 -0500 > > News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically > Engineered Foods > ---- > > Dear News Update Subscribers, > > As you are probably aware, the European Union (EU) > requires mandatory > labeling on food products that contain genetically > engineered ingredients. > But since consumers will not buy such labeled > biotech products, there are > virtually no genetically engineered foods being sold > in the EU countries. > > Now in an aggressive and underhanded move by > Monsanto and other biotech > companies, they have funded a Swedish brewer to > bring out a beer that > contains genetically engineered corn. > > The biotech corn provides no flavor advantages to > this beer. The > controversial financing of this biotech beer is just > a blatant attempt to > get a genetically engineered product into the > marketplace. However, it seems > to be having little success as the Associated Press > article posted below > will explain. > > Apparently the biotech companies have discovered > they need to keep people in > the dark about the fact that they are eating > genetically engineered foods, such > as in the United States and Canada, or drunk so that > they just don't care! > > PHARMCROPS WEB SITE NOW UP > > The Campaign launched our new PharmCrops web site on > Tuesday at: > http://www.pharmcrops.com > > We have already posted a lot of great educational > material on the PharmCrops > web site. Next week we should have several ACTION > ALERTS posted so that we > can begin aggressively fighting the reckless > introduction of these risky crops. > > Craig Winters > Executive Director > The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods > > The Campaign > PO Box 55699 > Seattle, WA 98155 > Tel: 425-771-4049 > Fax: 603-825-5841 > E-mail: label > Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org > > Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots > consumer campaign for > the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President > to pass legislation that > will require the labeling of genetically engineered > foods in the United > States. " > > *************************************************************** > > > Bioengineered beer gives Europe the shakes > > By Matt Moore, Associated Press > 7/8/2004 > > COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Spurned across the continent > by food-fastidious > Europeans, the biotechnology industry has turned in > its quest for converts > to the ultimate ice breaker: genetically modified > beer. > > A consortium of the world's largest biotech > companies led by Monsanto Co. > helped fund a Swedish brewer's new light lager > that's produced with the > usual hops and barley - and a touch of genetically > engineered corn. > > Brew master Kenth Persson hopes to profit from the > notoriety his biotech > brew is generating, while biotech companies hope it > can gently sway > consumers as European regulators slowly reopen the > continent to genetically > altered foods. > > But those are tall orders to fill. > > A series of food-related health scares in recent > years, from mad cow disease > to poisoned poultry, have stoked fears among many > Europeans about so-called > GM foods. > > Europeans insist that such food be clearly labeled, > a vivid contrast with > U.S. consumers, who don't appear bothered that so > much of their processed > food includes genetically engineered soy and corn > and isn't labeled as such. > > Indeed, most of the European Union's 457 million > residents are adamant about > their food being kept free from any sort of > modifications, genetic or > otherwise. > > And that might help explain why Kenth beer is hardly > a barroom hit. > > The brewer won't say how many bottles have been sold > since the beer was > unveiled earlier this year in Denmark and Sweden. > But he says 4,000 bottles > are on their way to stores and pubs in Germany and > he's in talks with stores > in the United Kingdom. > > Although research on GM foods hasn't yielded any > nightmare scenarios about > damage to life and limb, Nicholas Fjord of Malmoe in > southern Sweden, is not > entirely convinced, either. > > Despite reassurances that genetically modified > products are safe, an image > keeps popping up in Fjord's mind about a relative > whose mother took > Thalidomide in the 1960s because she was assured it > was safe. > > " So safe, indeed, that he has no elbow or knee > joints and, despite living a > good life, has been hindered since his birth, " Fjord > recalled. Granted, > that's an extreme fear, he said, but one that seems > to be strong in Europe. > > A study conducted earlier this year by Finland's > National Consumer Research > Center showed that of all the concerns about > manufactured food that Finns > have, genetically modified foods topped the list. > Some 60% of the population > expressed " strong concern, " according to the survey. > > In April the EU lifted a six-year moratorium on new > biotech food, but just > barely. The previous month, it approved the sale of > a modified strain of > sweet corn, grown mainly in the United States. But > any food containing that > corn must be labeled as genetically modified. > > U.S. farmers argue that the labeling amounts to a de > facto ban and the Bush > administration says it will continue pushing its > biotech trade complaint at > the World Trade Organization. > > And that's where Kenth comes in. > > The beer was created because Monsanto felt the > biotech debate " never rose > further than the inner circle of scientists, > politicians and (nongovernment > organizations), " said Mattias Zetterstrand, a > Monsanto spokesman based in > Stockholm, the Swedish capital. " Our wish was to > contribute to this > situation by making an abstract discussion more > concrete. " > > The corn in Kenth was approved for use in 1998, > before the European > moratorium started, and is grown in Germany. The > Monsanto-created corn seed > is spliced with a bacterium's gene to resist the > corn borer pest without the > need for insecticides. > > Zetterstrand wouldn't say how much the biotech > consortium contributed to the > project, but said the companies haven't purchased > equity in the small > Swedish brewer and won't share in sales of the beer. > The other companies > involved in the project are Bayer CropScience, > DuPont, Plant Science Sweden, > Svaloef Weibull and Syngenta. > > The brewer, Persson, said he realizes that selling a > genetically modified > beverage in the European Union can be a risky > proposition - especially when > its label touts GM ingredients unabashedly. > > Greenpeace activists chased Kenth-ladened beer > trucks in Sweden and Denmark, > discouraging store and tavern owners from buying the > brew, when it was first > introduced, and Greenpeace continues to pressure big > grocery chains to avoid > stocking it. > > Dan Belusa, a Greenpeace spokesman, said the protest > encouraged ICA, a large > Swedish grocery store chain, to remove Kenth from > its shelves. > > " Basically no GM foods are sold in Europe because > consumers and retailers > make a conscience choice to say 'no' to them, " he > said. > > The brewer and Monsanto say Greenpeace's efforts > haven't deterred their > plans. > > Kenth is now being sold through the Swedish > state-owned liquor monopoly, > Systembolaget, in southern Sweden and there have > been no protests. But its > availability is limited. > > At a recent barbecue in Ingaroe, a small town about > a 30-minute drive from > Stockholm, a six-pack of the bottles was offered up > for a taste test. The > beer was poured in glasses and offered up. > > All in all, everyone who quaffed said it tasted just > fine, just like other > beer. > > They weren't put off by its label, which proudly > denotes its GMO use. > > " To me, it's strictly the taste test, " said media > consultant Debi > Vaught-Thelin. " If the beer is made with GM > ingredients and tastes OK to me, > then yes, I will drink it happily. " > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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