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INTL: UK SUPERMARKETS PREPARE FOR GM FOOD
01 September 2009
Source: Telegraph
Supermarkets pave way for introduction of GM food to UK
Some of the biggest supermarkets have held secret talks to consider the best way to introduce more GM food to Britain as the price of stocks 'untainted' by genetic modification rises.
Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Co-Op, Somerfield and the budget chain Aldi have met with civil servants to discuss their problems in finding traditional food supplies, according to the Independent.
A report on the meetings noted: "Retailers were concerned that they may not be able to maintain their current non-GM sources of supply as producers increasingly adopt GM technology around the world."
In the late-1990s, supermarkets banned genetically altered food from stores amid widespread concern about its safety.
However, public opposition now appears to be waning; according to a document jointly produced by the Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs only 6 per cent of consumers are concerned when asked to respond spontaneously, compared to 20 per cent in December 2003.
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