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Dairy sector continues to count on "Ohne GenTechnik"
Hochland (Grünländer) - like all other licensees - also continues to use the "Ohne Gentechnik" (Non-GMO) seal. A report to the contrary in the German food product newspaper "Lebensmittelzeitung" was based on misinformation and has since been corrected. There is no "trend to phase out".
Sustainability criteria change like fashion trends?
Royal Lactalis Leerdammer has justified its decision by saying that, according to its own research, Leerdammer buyers are more interested in "other properties and features". That is of course legitimate. For consumers, however, it might not seem very credible if the sustainability criteria of products are replaced like fashion trends.
The "Ohne GenTechnik" seal is an offer to suppliers
"If a topic is no longer at the very top of the polls, consumers still care," comments Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of the Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG). "The 'Ohne GenTechnik' seal and the VLOG certification are an offer to enterprises to assure their customers of compliance with GMO-free food production through independent monitoring and transparent labelling. Everyone is free to opt in or out. Of course, we are interested in the exact motives of Lactalis. We are looking for a dialogue with the dairy.
For farmers, the exit is a downgrade
For the farmers, too, opting out of "Ohne Gentechnik" is a downgrade because they lose the premium paid for GMO-free milk. At 1 to 1.5 cents per litre, this premium is not all that high. On the other hand, soybean meal, the most critical feed ingredient in terms of genetic engineering, plays a minor role in dairy cattle feed. The VLOG inspections on farms are usually carried out in combination with other certifications. The effort, including the financial effort, is therefore limited.
Even more serious for farmers, however, is the fact that their milk is degraded from a quality product to an internationally easily exchangeable, purely basic raw material if they forego the "Ohne Gentechnik" certification.
"Ohne GenTechnik" dairy products are a success story
Rejection of genetic engineering in food remains stable at a high level. Throwing the freedom of genetic engineering overboard now - supposedly in favour of "new" issues - could quickly become an own goal.
The "Ohne GenTechnik" development to date is a success story, especially in dairy products. Almost four out of five litres of milk in Germany are now produced without genetic engineering. Ten years ago it was only one in twenty litres.