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News :: Miscellaneous |
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The Crafty Kraft Corporation, Target Of Anti-Biotech Food Campaign |
Current rating: 0 |
by ENN
(No verified email address) |
09 Feb 2002
Modified: 10 Feb 2002 |
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A coalition of green health-policy groups Wednesday called on Kraft Foods Inc., the largest North American food maker, to remove genetically altered ingredients from several of its popular products, including Tombstone pizzas and Stove Top stuffing. Testing positive for gene-spliced corn were Kraft's Taco Bell taco shells, Lunchables lunch kits, Tombstone pizzas, Post Blueberry Morning cereal, Stove Top stuffing, and the french onion variety of SnackWell's brand crackers. . .Kraft's Boca Burger brand vegetarian burgers were found to include GMO soy. |
Kraft Target Of Anti-Biotech Food Campaign
By Deborah Cohen
ENN.com
2-8-2
CHICAGO (ENN) - A coalition of green health-policy groups Wednesday called on Kraft Foods Inc., the largest North American food maker, to remove genetically altered ingredients from several of its popular products, including Tombstone pizzas and Stove Top stuffing.
The Washington-based coalition, called Genetically Engineered Food Alert, said an independent laboratory had tested several Kraft products and found they contained genetically altered corn or soybeans. The U.S. government has approved the use of the ingredients, but the coalition said they have not been adequately tested to determine their safety.
GE Food Alert is the same group whose findings in 2000 led to the recall of Kraft taco shells containing StarLink, a gene- spliced corn not approved for human consumption. The organization is also calling for mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which the government does not currently require.
Biotech foods have come under increased scrutiny by critics, particularly in light of recent global health concerns sparked by mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease.
Kraft, citing approval from a wide range of regulatory bodies, says its products are safe. "There is a strong global consensus among government, scientific, and medical experts about the safety of biotech foods," said Kraft spokesman Michael Mudd. "We have strong confidence in the process by which that consensus was reached."
Kraft shares were 8 cents lower at $37.02 in Wednesday afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
POPULAR PRODUCTS HAVE GMOs
Testing positive for gene-spliced corn were Kraft's Taco Bell taco shells, Lunchables lunch kits, Tombstone pizzas, Post Blueberry Morning cereal, Stove Top stuffing, and the french onion variety of SnackWell's brand crackers, a GE Alert representative said at a news conference in Chicago. Kraft's Boca Burger brand vegetarian burgers were found to include GMO soy.
"It's time for Kraft to finally make public health a priority," said Kate Madigan of the Illinois chapter of State Public Interest Research Groups, which is a founding member of GE Food Alert. "We are calling on Kraft to remove genetically engineered ingredients from these and all of their products."
GE Food Alert, whose other founding members include the Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, and the Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy, said it had garnered help from partner organizations and local health advocates in 170 cities around the country to help launch its campaign against Kraft Wednesday.
In September 2000, GE Food Alert disclosed research that led to a national recall of Kraft's Taco Bell taco shells that had been manufactured with StarLink corn, a genetically altered variety made by Aventis SA. The research led to a government investigation.
The group has pressured other food makers, including Campbell Soup Co., to stop using GMO ingredients. Campbell maintains its foods are safe. "We have always encouraged development in food science and technology that would improve the safety, quality, availability, and wholesomeness of food and food ingredients," said John Faulkner, a spokesman for Camden, N.J.based Campbell. |
See also:
http://www.enn.com
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by CMB
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 Feb 2002
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More made-up hooie. The Coalition wants to ban foods - because the Coalition says, etc. Of course, supporting data is not forthcoming - for there is none. Kate madigan wants Kraft to "make public health a priority" by removing GM foods - but fails to enumerate a single public health risk - because there aren't any.
But that won't stop any of them, because, well, this is how they get paid. Lying to the public is their chosen career. |
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Another Opinion |
by green fields
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Feb 2002
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There also seems to be a lack of supporting data about the safety of GMO foods. Sure there are claims that it is safe, but no reall proof, other than assertions that it hasn't been proven harmful. Since there is no real need for GMO products, except the need for porfit on the part of those promoting them, I think it might be wise to avoid them in favor of natural foods.
For a another view in support of this position:
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0209-01.htm |
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Kraft food parent of philip morris companies |
by cornelia
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Feb 2002
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Havn't been buyint Kraft foods for sometime.THey are owned by Philip Morris who is responsible for marketing to children as well as covering up the addictive nature of their products. Genetically altered food just makes a second reason for not buying kraft. |
