GM foods will not be labelled in New Zealand supermarkets, despite promises to allow consumer choice – and the public have been hoodwinked, says GE-Free NZ. Ministers and government MPs have told the public that new regulations for gene technology will allow consumers’ the right to choose by keeping labelling of GMO food sold in supermarkets. On 21 February, Farmers Weekly reported that GM foods will be labelled in supermarkets, just as the government had promised before the election. But on March 10 this was retracted after the publishers were contacted by food authorities to say GM foods will be exempted from labelling. "This is a broken promise to the public. People demand the right to choose and want products from gene editing to be labelled,” said Jon Carapiet of GE-Free New Zealand (in Food and Environment). The magazine also announced that FSANZ propose increasing the levels of glyphosate (Roundup’s active ingredient) allowed in food. "People have been hoodwinked. They want the right to choose to avoid GE [genetically engineered] products and don’t want increased levels of chemical residue in food," said Carapiet. GE-Free NZ

 

 

A federal judge in Missouri is allowing a beekeeper's claims to move forward against Bayer, concluding there was a sufficient link between a Monsanto herbicide product that allegedly destroyed vegetation essential for bees. US District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. for the Eastern District of Missouri partially denied a summary judgment motion for Bayer Corp. and BASF Corp., in a suit brought by a beekeeping and honey-producing operation, Coy's Honey Farm. Coy's Honey filed suit claiming the defendants' use of dicamba-based herbicide products moved away from the targeted dicamba-tolerant plants, damaged vegetation surrounding the beekeeping operation and resulted in reduced honey production and bee population. Law.com

 

We hope you’ve found this newsletter interesting. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you!