PRESS RELEASE

From Genetic Food Alert - the GM Campaign of the UK Wholefood Trade

G.F.A. CALLS FOR REASSURANCES AS G.M. HONEY CONTAMINATION IS REVEALED

Genetic Food Alert is calling on all honey importers and suppliers to
provide reassurances that they are exercising due diligence in avoiding GM
contamination of honey after tests carried out by the Sunday Times, and
reported on its front cover, revealed contamination two miles from a GM crop
trial. A national meeting of beekeeping organisations on Friday 20th
September will be discussing the future of standards to avoid such
contamination.

"Two years ago our member businesses agreed standards for avoiding GM
ingredients and derivatives which included avoiding all honey from within 
six miles of a GM crop", said GFA co-ordinator Robert Vint, "and we are
pleased that most beekeepers are abiding by beekeeping industry guidelines
to operate a six mile hive exclusion zone around GM crops.  Unlike Canadian
honey, UK honey is currently a premium GM-free product".

Because of diligence by most UK beekeepers there will be very little GM
contamination of UK honey at present. 98% of the  worlds GM crops are still
only grown in three nations - the USA, Canada and Argentina - so honey from
these nations will be the most affected. The main problem is with Canadian
honey because this mainly comes from the flowers of Canola (oilseed rape)
which is 70% GM in Canada. Therefore 70% of the honey in a jar from Canada
will usually come from GM crops - and the Sunday Times reports that this
problem has halved their exports to Europe. "We understand that Canadian
honey is being filtered of pollen to remove detectable GM DNA but it is
still a derivative of GM plants", said Robert Vint, "and it may also often
be blended to become the 'produce of more than one nation' to disguise its
origins". Assurances that the honey 'contains no GMOs' often just mean that
it is a derivative of GM crops but has then been filtered. We hope that EU
plans to label GM derivatives by 2004 will apply to honey.

GFA will contact all its member businesses to ask them to contact their
honey suppliers immediately to obtain written assurances that their honey
does not come from within six miles of a GM crop. It is vital that honey 
importers and suppliers hear about the concerns of wholesalers and retailers 
before they meet on Friday.

GFA will be giving member businesses the following general recommendations
about honey from different origins:

ORGANIC: OK - (but double-check the certifier's standards if it comes from
Canada, USA or Argentina).
UK, other EU nations and New Zealand: Nearly always OK - support your local
beekeepers but check they are abiding by the six mile guideline.
CANADA: Contamination is almost inevitable and assurances that the honey
contains no GMOs will usually just mean it has been filtered. GFA strongly
recommend that it be avoided.
USA & ARGENTINA: Contamination is likely. Most Argentine honey comes from
the Pampas where GM soya and maize are widely grown.
CHINA: Only a small amount of GM crops are grown but unfortunately written
guarantees from China have a poor reputation.
AUSTRALIA: GM crops are not being grown commercially yet.
TROPICAL, FOREST and MOUNTAIN honeys.  Tropical African nations do not have
GM crops and most forest and mountain honeys would be produced a long way
from any agricultural crop.
BLENDED HONEY / PRODUCE OF MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY: This probably contains
filtered honey from Canada, Argentina and China.
FAIR TRADE: Virtually all Fair Trade producers feel that GM crops are a
threat to poor farmers but the Fair Trade label still offers no reassurance
about GM standards.

GFA is also asking UK beekeepers, wholesalers and retailers to contact
Margaret Beckett at DEFRA to demand that costs to their businesses that
would be caused by GM crop commercialisation in the UK be included in their
Economic Review of the issue.

For more information contact GFA.
Tel: 01803 868523
Email: coordinator@geneticfoodalert.org.uk