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German food businesses launch new initiative for freedom of choice regarding genetic engineering in food
Open letter to EPP Parliamentary Group leader Manfred Weber
In a joint open letter, the heads of the companies Alb-Gold, Alnatura, Andechser, dm and Frosta appeal to Manfred Weber, the EPP Group Chairman in the European Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the CSU, to support the preservation of labeling and freedom of choice in regards to genetically modified foods. When presenting their initiative at a press conference, they invited all companies from the food production and trade sectors in Germany to sign the open letter.
Key role in the European Parliament in the deregulation of GMOs
The occasion are the imminent intensive negotiations and votes in the European Parliament on the question of whether food produced using new genetic engineering will remain recognisable in the EU in future. The members of the CDU-CSU and their EPP group in the European Parliament have a key role to play here. They are seeking to deregulate new genetic engineering products to an even stronger degree than the EU Commission.
The Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG), Germany's leading organic farming association Bioland, the Association of Organic Food Producers (AöL) and the German Association of Natural Food, and Natural Products (BNN) are supporting the businesses in their initiative for freedom of choice on GMO in food.
Felix Ahlers, FRoSTA: "FRoSTA has stood for maximum transparency for over 20 years. Everyone should be able to understand whether a food has been produced with or without genetic engineering in order to be able to decide accordingly. Only then can food manufacturers and farmers distinguish themselves. A transparent declaration on the packaging prescribed by the legislator would be the right way forward."
Kerstin Erbe, dm-Drogeriemarkt: "At dm, it is important to us that we continue to be free to choose whether we want to produce and consume genetically modified food. This is about our nutrition, about what we are feeding our bodies every day. Even if genetic engineering processes are more precise today than in the past, there are still risks that need to be considered and managed. We need clear labelling as a basis for decision-making."
Prof Dr Götz E. Rehn, Alnatura: "Extensive deregulation of genetic engineering regulations contradicts the principles of a balanced and responsible policy, both for consumers and for nature. Over 90 percent of customers demand comprehensive safety testing for genetically modified plants and mandatory labelling of genetically modified food. The use of genetic engineering in food must be declared. This is the only way to ensure 'freedom of choice through transparency' when buying food. The EPP even wants to authorise the new genetic engineering for organic food. This is rightly prohibited under the EU Organic Regulation and, consequently, we reject it."
Jan Plagge, Bioland: "The proposals of EPP rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd prevent coexistence and freedom of choice. In practice, coexistence of agriculture with and without genetic engineering can only work if there is a labelling obligation for all so-called new genetic engineering methods - right up to the end product, the food. However, the current position of the EU Committee on Agriculture no longer provides for any labelling obligation at all, not even for seeds, and also no coexistence rules for cultivation methods with and without genetic engineering. The EPP in particular, i.e. the CDU-CSU, must fulfil its responsibility here and urgently make improvements in the EU Parliament."
First signatories of the open letter
- Felix Ahlers, Chairman of the Executive Board, FRoSTA AG
- Kerstin Erbe, Managing Director Product Management, dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG
- Irmgard Freidler, Managing Director, ALB-GOLD Teigwaren GmbH
- Prof. Dr. Götz E. Rehn, Founder and Managing Director, Alnatura Produktions- und Handels GmbH
- Barbara Scheitz, Managing Director, Andechser Molkerei Scheitz GmbH
Other businesses are cordially invited to support the initiative and sign the open letter here (in German)
Video recording of the press conference to present the initiative on 9 January 2024 (in German)
AFP: Business initiative insists on mandatory labelling for genetic engineering (in German)
Lebensmittelpraxis: Businesses in favour of labelling (in German)
Lebensmittelzeitung: Alnatura, dm, Frosta & Co. insist on mandatory labelling (in German)
Fleischwirtschaft: Businesses launch new initiative (in German)
FAZ: Businesses write open letter to Manfred Weber (in German)
Der Westen: dm: Customers in turmoil! New rule could mislead them with products (in German)
Media contacts
- Alb-Gold: Matthias Klumpp, m.klumpp@alb-gold.de, +49 7124 9291113
- Alnatura: Constanze Klengel, presse@alnatura.de, +49 6151 356 6693
- Andechser: Stefanie Miller, stefanie.miller@andechser-molkerei.de, +49 8152 379 345
- dm: Herbert Arthen, herbert.arthen@dm.de, +49 721 5592 1195