GM protesters want baby formula out
Greenpeace protesters are up against the selling of Wyeth's S-26 baby formula in supermarkets.
The environmental activists are protesting at the Woolworth's supermarket at Neutral Bay, Sydney and at the Coles supermarket in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Both groups refuse to leave the stores until the baby formula S-26 Soy Formula is removed from the shelves.
Greenpeace Australia spokeswoman Laura Kelly said, “The main thing we're concerned about is that the formulas carry no warning label... Australian mums have been feeding formula with traces of genetically modified DNA to their babies without knowing it.”
Greenpeace ordered two independent tests of the baby formula. The tests run in laboratories in Germany and the Untied States found 0.2 percent of genetically modified (GM) soy and corn. The ingredients have not yet been established not to be harmful to infants.
Under Australian labeling laws, an 'unintentional' presence of up to one percent of a GM ingredient is forgivable as long the manufacturer can prove it ordered non-GM foods from suppliers.
Pfizer-owned company Wyeth Nutrition has requested for copies of the test results.
Kelly attacked the Ministerial food labeling review released early this year. The Greenpeace campaigner said, “The Review’s claims that GM food is labelled in Australia is completely untrue. Despite 90% of consumers calling for clear GM labelling and a majority wanting to avoid GM, the public is still in the dark about what is really in their food. The reality is that we are eating GM all the time without our knowledge.”