Wessex
NLP CALLS FOR BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES TO GIVE CLEAR POSITION ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS
Current system of regulation does not adequately protect consumers or environment from major risks
Wessex News Release
November 1997
Winchester by-election call
The Wessex branch of the Natural Law Party is calling for candidates in the Winchester by-election to support the application of more stringent controls over the introduction of genetically engineered foods. It has written to both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates asking for them to indicate their position on the issue, but after three weeks has still had no answer from either.
Research shows unexpected risks
As a result of research highlighting potentially serious risks to human health and the environment from the introduction of genetically engineered crops and food the Natural Law Party is calling for a world wide ban on such products until scientists are able to prove that they are safe. It claims that the current testing procedures for such products are well-below the standards required for the approval of pharmaceutical products and yet the potential for widespread damage to human health and the environment is far more serious if mistakes are made. According to Hampshire NLP spokesman John Sinel:
"Studies have already shown that these new food products can produce completely new toxins for which there is currently no requirement to test. Already there has been one case in the United States where an approved food supplement manufactured using genetically modified bacteria has killed 37 people and left 1500 permanently disabled."
GMOs already secretly in food
Although the European Union has recently introduced legislation requiring food containing genetically modified organisms to be labelled, labelling does not guarantee its safety. In addition unlabelled existing products containing or derived from genetically modified organisms are already on supermarket shelves, including genetically modified Soya. The European Union estimates that next year 40% of the American Soya crop will be genetically modified, leading to even larger quantities being imported into Europe.
"Up until now consumers have been eating genetically modified material without knowing because Soya is an ingredient in 60% of processed foods. Some retailers have tried to claim that there is no difference between the modified Soya and natural Soya, but this is not true,"
adds John Sinel. In August the Dutch Natural Law Party successfully won a civil case against the largest supermarket chain in Holland, Albert Heijn, who falsely tried to make this claim.
(NLP wins vital soyabean genetics case against major Dutch retailers)
No answer
Since it wrote to the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates for the Winchester by-election on these issues on the 20th October the Wessex Natural Law Party has not received an answer from either. The Natural Law Party does not consider that labelling requirements will adequately protect consumer health and the environment because too little is still known by scientists about this technology.
"We are deeply disappointed that local politicians do not seem to be aware of the risks associated with these developments, and seem unable to give the issues they raise a high priority when representing the interests of their constituents. Unless proper safeguards are taken immediately, harmful effects will be felt for generations to come to a degree far more serious than that experienced as a result of the BSE crisis or through global warming. This is the single most important health and environmental issue of our generation, and the time to do anything about it is fast running out,"
concludes John Sinel.
BBC TO RAISE ISSUE DURING ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Rosemary Barry Natural Law Party candidate in the Winchester by-election will be emphasising the importance of making consumers aware of the risks of genetically engineered foods during her campaign. This issue will also be further highlighted during November when BBC 2 releases two TV documentaries on the subject, one of which is entitled "Frankenstein’s Food".
Rosemary Barry and Winchester by-election