News

Significantly more non-GMO soybean cultivation in Brazil

Brazil plans to increase non-GMO soybean acreage by 24 percent for the 2022/23 crop to meet demand from Europe. That's another good sign for the availability of non-GMO feed.

Products sold for over 13 billion euros: Maintaining the successful "Ohne Gentechnik" label

Consumers spent around 13.2 billion euros on "Ohne Gentechnik" (Non-GMO) products in Germany in 2021, 4.3 percent more than in the previous year. Therefore, the label remains on a winning streak in its 13th year. Current challenges include possibly new EU GMO rules and deliberately stoked uncertainties around the issue of feed availability.

New petition against dilution of GMO regulations

Numerous environmental, consumer and organic associations have launched a joint Europe-wide online petition against the weakening of EU rules on genetic engineering. In the current legislative process, the EU Commission has positioned itself clearly biased in favor of such deregulation.

Changeover: "VLOG verified" to become a certification mark

The "VLOG geprüft"/"VLOG verified" seal will be changed to the new brand category "Gewährleistungsmarke" ["certification mark"] for independent standard issuers, just like the "Ohne GenTechnik" [Non GMO] seal. All "VLOG verified" licensees will be asked to sign a new license agreement for this purpose. They have already been informed directly.

Sufficient GMO-free rapeseed available: Adequate payment for quality!

Some industry associations repeatedly try to exploit market uncertainties by toppling proven quality standards in agricultural production. Currently, the war in Ukraine is being used to claim an alleged threat of non-availability of GMO-free feed.

Change on the Board of VLOG

Karin Voss from the Edeka head office has stepped down from the Board of the German Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG). Her successor is Juliane Falzmann, PhD, from the Rewe Group.

Biased questions: EU consultation launched on new genetic engineering

The EU Commission has launched the previously announced public consultation on regulating future genetic engineering. The questions and reply options are formulated with a strong bias towards softening the currently existing rules.

Sufficient feed available: Remaining with the "Ohne Gentechnik" system

The Bavarian milk producers' organisation Bayern MeG has recommended that its members have milk packaging printed without the "Ohne GenTechnik" (Non-GMO) seal, just in case. But there is no sound reason for this.

Detection method for new genetic engineering plants soon operational

Plants produced using new genetic engineering methods can be detected - contrary to what genetic engineering proponents have long claimed. Authorities are now also working intensively on such detection methods.

Clandestine genetic engineering in Easter eggs?

Eggs from hens that come from genetically modified breeding hens should be labelled accordingly. This is the opinion of 85 percent of respondents in a representative survey commissioned in Germany by VLOG shortly before Easter. 70 percent would not buy such GM eggs.

Despite misleading statements: "Ohne Gentechnik" production is secure

The German Raiffeisen Association (DRV) and the German Feed Association (DVT) try to conjure up a collapse of "Ohne Gentechnik" (Non-GMO) production. The "maintenance of the supply of the wide market with GMO-free material" is "not realistic in the long run", the associations claim, apparently misleading deliberately.

GMO-free feed sufficiently available despite Ukraine war

The war in Ukraine is bringing material flows and supply chains to a stumble or even to a standstill. GMO-free feed ingredients are also imported from Ukraine and Russia, but sufficient quantities of rapeseed and soybean meal are currently available. The "Ohne Gentechnik" [Non-GMO] sector is in close internal communication and is preparing for possible future shortages.

CRISPR GM eggs without risk assessment and labelling?

According to internal communication, the EU Commission considers neither approval procedures nor genetic engineering labelling to be necessary for eggs and laying hens derived from genetically modified chickens. This would be tantamount to anticipatory deregulation.