Peter Ainsworth, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has today written to David Miliband criticising the Government’s controversial policy to allow produce with 0.9% GM Contamination to be described as “GM-free”. The decision to support the policy has generated widespread criticism from green groups and the organic sector who believe it has undermined consumer choice and trust in organic produce.
The letter asks Mr. Miliband to explain his decision to allow accidental contamination up to 0.9% to go unreported despite tests that can identify 0.1% GM contamination. Mr. Ainsworth has also asked for clarification on concerns that Ministers may have sent a signal to the GM sector that contamination up to 0.9% would be regarded as acceptable
Letter in full:
Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs,
I am writing to you about the decision by EU Agriculture Ministers this week to permit organic food containing up to 0.9% Genetically Modified material to be labelled "GM Free".
As you may be aware, the Conservative Party is not alone in believing that, since it is scientifically possible to trace GM elements down to 0.1% of food content, that - rather than 0.9% - should be the point at which disclosure is required. There is serious concern amongst environmental and consumer groups that a labelling regime which permits a product containing nearly 1% of GM content to be described as "GM Free" is misleading and contrary to the principle of consumer choice.
I hope that you will take the opportunity, when responding to this letter, to make it clear that the Government would regard any "adventitious" or inadvertent contamination to represent a deplorable lapse of good commercial practice. I hope you will also respond to concerns that by setting the disclosure level at 0.9% Ministers may have sent a signal to the GM sector that contamination up to this level would be regarded as acceptable. It would be helpful if you might state explicitly that the 0.9% threshold is not in any way to be regarded as a target and that routine contamination up to this level will not be tolerated.
As you know, there is particular concern amongst organic food producers that the new EU threshold poses a serious risk to the integrity of their products. Since the United Kingdom has been at the forefront of the rapidly expanding market for organic produce, it is particularly ironic that your Government appears to have voted for a measure which threatens to undermine consumer confidence in this sector. I would therefore be grateful if you would explain why you voted as you did at the Council of Ministers' meeting. On what grounds did you decide to take a contrary view to that adopted by the European Parliament, as well as Italy, Belgium, Hungary and Greece?
The recent rapid growth of the organic food sector has been one of the great success stories for British agriculture and reflects strong public demand. There is effectively no consumer demand for products containing GM material, whether "adventitious" or not. I think that consumers will want to know why you have participated in a decision which undermines their freedom of choice.
Yours ever,
Peter Ainsworth
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