Meat Exports Threatened by Animal-Feed Loophole
Ministers Urged to Act as Meat Exports Threatened by Animal-Feed Loophole
The government must act quickly to ensure no GM grain is imported for animal feed for New Zealand animals as the current
lack of regulation represents a serious threat to our meat export industry.
"The international trend in food standards is that animal feed must be GM-free or the products of those animals are
likely to be rejected by companies across Europe and Asia who have GM-Free policies," says Jon Carapiet for GE-Free NZ
(in food and environment). "That includes the world's major food manufacturers and in some countries -all the major
supermarket brands too.”
Unless New Zealand feed-manufacturers ensure a system to avoid importation of GM-grains they risk our meat exports being
rejected and will undermine the national 'Brand image' which our exports and tourism rely on.Comments today by Mike
Brooks of the Feed Manufacturers Association on National Radio's Rural Report indicate that though feed produced from NZ
grains is GE-Free, there is no system in place to stop GE feed being imported.”
As well as an economic threat this is a threat to public health as no tests have been done into the impact of GM grains
on animals and their products, or the effect of those products when eaten by other animals- including people.
" This is a Russian-roulette experiment on the food chain. Just as overseas authorities have failed, The Food Safety
Authority has never done tests on meat or milk from animals that are genetically modified, cloned or fed GM feed. The
public health issues are being sidelined," says Mr Carapiet.
The fact that no scientific tests have been done is part of the reason why products from animals given GE-feed have been
rejected overseas in what is clearly a marketing trend. GE-Free NZ (in food and environment) is calling on the
Agriculture Minister to urgently introduce regulations to keep GE feed out of the local food chain and to work with MAF
and the Feed Industry to ensure compliance. New Zealand's exports are under threat.
Some New Zealand meat producers are already aware that they must not supply animals produced with GM feed to clients
overseas, but their is clearly a lack of proper regulation and this must be addressed.
ENDS Media contact Jon Carapiet 09 815 3370