Shivani Shah, Safe Food Campaigner, Greenpeace India

But then, a couple of years ago, I started noticing how I would adversely react to some cosmetics, and it made me curious. Worse, I was not the only one. So Google I did, and chanced upon a column Behind The Label by a well-established and popular magazine ‘The Ecologist’, which broke down all the Greek behind labels of popular companies, into simple English, to mean that the ingredients were Carcinogenic (cancer causing), associated with seizures, tumors, neurological disorders and what have you. And mind you, these are the regular fruit juices we believe are safe, gums, noodles, diet Cokes and even sugar-frees!

Yes, ’sugar free’ products or in other words products containing aspartame, and marketed for all those who love the sweet but hate the calories, and simple ways of fighting diabetes are proven carcinogens. Now who would do that, and if it is seriously dangerous, why would the food safety authorities of the world allow them to operate I wondered? So I looked up books, and papers and whatever I could get my hands on. What I found was that the deadly aspartame was sold by Monsanto, the same company that made DDT (remember it was banned world over because of it is so deadly)!, and the same one that became infamous because of Agent Orange at the time of the Vietnam War!

And now, I find out, they are into ‘agri-business’! How does that even make sense? How can a company with such a track record be allowed to do anything with the food business. And so I find out from some recent documentary films is that these very companies (Monsanto is not alone mind you, but the biggest, dirty handed corporation sleeping with the Governments of the world) make arrangements and settlements with the FDAs of the world (who we trust to make the right decisions) and get on with their dirty business.

Right, so where does that leave me or my family and friends? As a consumer, I start telling companies what is acceptable to me, and what is not. There’s no way, I am going to pay for products, which are unsafe for me, and profitable for companies. In fact, that is exactly what consumers across the European Union did with Genetically Modified foods. Consumers across the EU said they didn’t want GMOs in their food, and the companies had to give them what they wanted, or lose their market.

If consumers across EU can reject GMOs, why can’t we Indians? After all we are no less people, than anyone else, right?

So, I reject GMOs in my food. I had rather curiosity kill the company than me the consumer.

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I have spent portions of my life paying attention to the way I talk, walk, behave, work, relate, earn, sleep, play, and drive. Most humans do likewise. So, there is a whole fraternity that becomes aware of things periodically.

One thing I have not paid attention to, however, is what goes into the food I eat. Again, many humans tend to do likewise. Somehow, this is among the things we take most for granted. Even family is not sacrosanct anymore, but food, curiously, we have not spliced or split under a microscope.

That, however, is about to change.

Apparently, there are so many of us on the planet that there’s not enough food for us. So, for years now, scientists have taken from genes from various organisms and added them to crops. This is to make food healthier, better, and more abundant.

But, it isn’t so simple.

All food, especially baby food, is going into a lab and could possibly emerge completely different. In so happening, the new genetically engineered food could even alter the way we are.

Livers and kidneys, say reports, could behave vastly different. They could get weaker in the process of our food getting stronger, the reports say. There are a host of other cautions that have sprung up from the experiments to engineer food.

Vegetables, grain, chocolate, noodles. Anything.

This now is fundamental. Humans possibly cannot spend all their time in a state of permanent alert because someone somewhere is tinkering with their food. We need to know, just like we know the sun rises, and the sun sets.

How are we to respond if the sun were to be experimented with to produce more sunshine? How are we to respond when our food is now under trial, the unnerving phrase scientists use to say they still don’t know everything about what they are doing?

A safe food guide is now ready. Greenpeace India has put together what ought to be the first of a series of steps to awaken the consumer. In so waking, we become aware and make choices.

The choice we make will determine the outcome.

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September 11, 2009: It was celebration time at MTR Foods’ head office in Bangalore today as Greenpeace commended it for adopting a GM-free policy and thereby assuring its customers that it will not use genetically modified (GM) ingredients in its food products, today or ever. Greenpeace volunteers in the garb of the “traditional messengers”, unfurled a massive 6×4ft cloth scroll that said, “Well Done MTR”, while handing over a Kannada copy of Safe Food Guide to their representative.(1)

MTR is the only food company in India to have a comprehensive policy on GMOs. In an official response to Greenpeace, MTR Foods Ltd. stated, “We have a policy to use 100% natural ingredients and hence GM items are unacceptable.”(2)

Various studies by independent scientists across the world have shown evidence suggesting that GM foods could be harmful to health, especially in the long run, and in ways that are yet unknown. Lab rats fed with GM food showed increased levels of liver and kidney toxicity, increased vulnerability to food allergies and low levels of immunity.(3)

“MTR Foods has been a household name in India for 85 years now. Greenpeace not only praises MTR’s GM-free policy, but also wants other big foods brands to follow MTR’s lead. GMOs are unethical, unsafe and irreversible, consumers and companies should reject them.” said Shivani Shah, a campaigner with Greenpeace India.

Greenpeace India launched the Safe Food Guide, earlier this week which categorises 17 food companies operating in India into a ‘red list’ and a ‘green list’ based on their responses to Greenpeace regarding their policy on the use of GM ingredients in their food products.

PepsiCo, Dabur, Haldirams, ITC Foods and Ruchi Soya stated that that their products do not contain genetically modified ingredients in their foods as of today. Hence these companies made it to the ‘green’ list.

Of all the companies, Nestlé (along with HUL and others)(4) are on the other end of the spectrum in the ‘red list’ since they have clearly stated they would use GM ingredients in their products in future. Nestle India with products like Cerelac, Lactogen, Kit Kat and Maggi under its umbrella has a GM free policy in Europe. However, Nestlé India is clearly demonstrating a case of double standards, with its pro GM policy in India and many other countries.

“Responsible companies across the world are taking proactive steps and adopting a GM-free policy. Indian consumers should not be treated as lab rats for GM food to be experimented upon. Nestle has gone GM free in Europe, Russia and Brazil.Therefore, it is time that Nestlé stops violating its own policy in India and declares itself GM free,” demanded Shah.

Since the release of the guide, over 10,000 consumers have already started demanding that Nestlé India goes GM free and have sent emails to Mr. Antonio Wazcyk who will take over as Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India from October 2009.

Notes
1. Greenpeace India released a Safe Food Guide on 8th Septemeber 2009 at Delhi which ranks 16 major food brands as “red” or “green” depending on the companies’ food policy.
2. Letter signed by MS Srikant, General Manager, MTR.
3. (i) Potatoes fed to labrats. (Dr. Arpad Puzstai, 1998)
(ii) Monsanto’s corn fed to labrats. (Monsanto, 2004 )
(iii) GM pea fed to mice. (CSIRO 2005)
4. The complete Safe Food Guide with all the companies’ rankings can be found at www.safefoodnow.org

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New Delhi, 8 September 2009: Food products of Nestlé, Cadbury, Kellogg, Britannia, and Safal are among a ‘red list’ in a guide on GM-free food released by Greenpeace here today. The ‘Safe Food Guide‘, is a first of its kind in India, and ranks 16 well-known food brands.  

The guide comes at a time when the Union Government is in the verge of approving genetically modified Bt Brinjal. Following-Bt Brinjal, there are close to 40 other food crops, like rice, tomato, mustard, and potato, which the government may approve.   
“The safety of GE crops as a foodstuff for animals and humans is unknown and the testing regimes are inadequate. Studies on laboratory animals (rats) have pointed out potential health risks, including allergies, abnormal growth of organs such as liver and kidney and many unpredictable effects. Therefore, this guide has an important role to inform consumers,” Jai Krishna of Greenpeace India said while releasing the guide.

The guide also comes in a pocket-sized version and lists companies based on their responses to Greenpeace. Companies like MTR, Dabur, Haldiram’s, ITC Foods, PepsiCo India, and Ruchi Soya are in the ‘green list’ based on their stand that their products are GM-free as of today.

In the ‘red list’ are Nestlé, Hindustan Unilever, Kellogg, Cadbury, Agro Tech Foods Ltd, FieldFresh Foods Pvt Ltd (a unit of Bharti Enterprises), Bambino Agro Industries Ltd, Britannia Industries Ltd, Godrej Hershey Foods, Parle, and Safal.  

Bejon Misra, Managing Trustee, Healthy You Foundation, received the first copy of the guide.”“It is an excellent tool for the consumers to become aware about GMO’s and this initiative by Greenpeace has brought these positions of food brands in the open. This would empower consumers to make an informed choice,” Misra said.

Greenpeace demands that:
i) food businesses adopt a no-GM policy, because of the risks to health and environment, and
ii) take proactive steps to inform consumers about the presence or absence of GM ingredients in their products.

For more information:
Syed Mehaboob, Communications Officer syed.mehaboob@greenpeace.org 097313 01983 

Notes to the Editor:
1. Genetically modified foods are manufactured by inserting genes from unrelated organisms into food plants like vegetables and rice. They are unnatural and unpredictable, and can cause irreversible contamination. Many governments have avoided approval of such foods. As of 2008, about two and a half percent of the world’s arable land is under GM crops.

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Tarla Dalal is a world famous food expert and best -selling cookery author with over 4 million books sold. The ‘Woman of the Year, 2005’ award recipient provides information and inspiration to millions aspiring to eat safe and healthy the world over. Moreover as the owner of India’s largest food site she voices her concerns against GM food and advocates a GM free India.

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