24/08/2012
Source: moneylife
“It appears another victory has been declared in the battle against Monsanto and GMO ingredients,” comments Nation of Change
A Brazilian court has demanded that multi-billion dollar food giant Nestle label all of its products as genetically modified that have over 1% GMO (genetically modified organisms) content. The ruling reportedly coincides with Brazilian law which demands all food manufacturers alert consumers to the presence of GMOs within their products. This has been reported by Anthony Gucciardi, Nation of Change, which is a non-profit organisation with the motto of progressive journalism for positive action.
Mr Gucciardi reports that instead of grovelling to Brazilian officials and mega biotechnology groups, the Brazilian business wire reports that the court determined the Brazilian government to be illegally working with the food industry entity known as ABIA. Furthermore, the court stated that consumers have the basic right to know what they are putting into their mouths especially when it comes to GMO ingredients.
“It appears another victory has been declared in the battle against Monsanto and GMO ingredients,” comments Anthony Gucciardi, Nation of Change. This confirms the long-standing consumers’ resistance and that of activists to GM ingredients in food in India and abroad, the latest being Brazil.
The Brazilian court issued a fine of $2,478 per product that was found to violate the ruling after finding the presence of GMO ingredients in Nestle’s strawberry Bono cookies, according to Nation of Change.
The injunction also requires that the information on the label must contain the graphic sign designating GM food (a ‘T’ in lowercase, inserted in a triangle with yellow background), accompanied by the term ‘transgenic’, as reported by Jornal DCI, Sao Paulo. The injunction was given in the civil action filed by the Public Prosecutor of Sao Paulo (SP-MP). The analysis found genetically modified products in the composition of ‘Bono’ cookies, strawberry flavour, manufactured and marketed by Nestle. Although more than half of the soyabean used in manufacturing the biscuit are transgenic, this is not declared on the product packaging, as was determined in the civil investigation.
According to Natural Society, where the same activist has written a year ago, in an act of defiance against bloated biotech companies like Monsanto, Peru has officially passed a law banning genetically modified ingredients within the nation for a period of 10 years. Peru’s Plenary Session of the Congress made the decision despite previous governmental pushes for GM legalization. Anibal Huerta, President of Peru’s Agrarian Commission, said the ban was needed to prevent the danger that can arise from the use of biotechnology.
While writing in Natural Society, earlier this year, Mr Gucciardi has commented that in the United States, the government continues to ignore and deny the concerns surrounding genetically modified crops and ingredients, instead streamlining the approval process for Monsanto’s new modified creations.
The safety of GMOs in the food chain has been questioned by environmental groups, with concerns such as the possibilities that GMOs could introduce new allergens into foods, or contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. The battle against genetically modified seed companies like Monsanto is continuing and is watched by avid journalists and activists alike.
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