Arnotts Australasia Goes GE Free again!
GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
Auckland, 13 December, 2003: Just two weeks after the GE free commitment of food giant Goodman Fielder in New Zealand,
Aussie biscuit giant Arnott's has made a strong ongoing commitment to sourcing non-GE crop derived ingredients and
animal products raised with non-GE feed.
The new policy statement, released yesterday, was prompted by concern at the protest plans of a community action group
the Peoples Moratorium Enforcement Agency (PMEA). PMEA had planned to begin a public campaign against Arnott's today due
to their weak policy statement earlier this year on the use of GE ingredients.
Greenpeace welcomed the decision by Arnott's to publicly state their non-GE policy and NZ GE campaigner Steve Abel
acknowledged the efforts of the PMEA saying it "shows the power of public action."
Arnott's were classified in the green sections of both the Greenpeace Australia and New Zealand GE free food guides
until this year when a poor policy statement led to a re-classification of Arnott's in the red section of respective
food guides. But in a letter forwarded to Greenpeace, Arnott's made a re-doubled commitment to sourcing non-GE
ingredients:
"We continue to audit all our suppliers to seek to ensure our products contain ingredients derived from non-genetically
modified crops. And we have sought, and will continue to seek, assurances from our suppliers of animal-derived products
that they do not use feed that contains genetically modified material." - Peter West, General Manager, Arnott's
Biscuits, 11-12-03
Arnott's will now move to the orange classification in the GE Free Food Guide until clarity is sought as to whether
Arnott's have fully achieved a non-GE feed status for their ingredients derived from animal products such as milk
chocolate and eggs.
For further information contact: Greenpeace GE Campaigner; Steve Abel, + 64 21 565 175 Greenpeace Communications
Officers, Suzette Jackson, + 64 21 577 556;