Korean Giant dumps GM soya beans

Korea's largest tofu and soybean product company shuns GM beans
*NB the company claims a revelation that it used GM beans cost it
billions*

http://koreaherald.co.kr/news/2000/07/__02/20000728_0210.htm
The Korea Herald, 28th July 2000

Pulmuone to stop using GM beans

Pulmuone, the nation's largest maker of tofu and soybean products,
announced yesterday that it would stop using genetically modified (GM)
beans.

"Considering the heated debate over the safety of genetically modified
organisms, we decided not to use GM beans in our tofu and bean sprout
products beginning next month," the company said in a press release
distributed yesterday.

In order to prevent itself from being embroiled in further GMO
controversies, the company also said that it had repeatedly visited
non-GM-bean-cultivating complexes in major import sources such as China,
Russia and the United States. All processes at these complexes, from
cultivation to transportation, were carefully checked, Pulmuone added.

Pulmuone suffered a significant drop in sales after the Korea Consumer
Protection Board disclosed last November that the company used GM beans
in the majority of its tofu products produced and sold in Korea.

Following the report, the company filed a suit against the consumer
protection agency, demanding 10.6 billion won in damages. The case is
currently being tried.