Sneaky importation of GE stock feed wrong

It is outrageous that container loads of GE soy meal are still being sneaked into New Zealand and fed to animals such as chickens, without New Zealanders being informed, Green MP Sue Kedgley said today.

Ms Kedgley was commenting on a report that GE soy meal from the United States was unloaded from a ship at Tauranga. It is understood that the soy meal is to be fed to chickens in New Zealand.

Ms Kedgley said it was shocking that New Zealand companies were still sneaking GE stock feed in, and refusing to tell the public where it is going.

"There is not even any requirement to label the meat as coming from animals that have been fed GE," Ms Kedgley said. "It is also outrageous that the importation of container loads of soy meal is not even assessed to see if it is safe for animal or human consumption."

"We have a complicated, albeit inadequate, regulatory process for GE food for humans, but GE animal feed coming into New Zealand is not even regulated."

Ms Kedgley said that in the European Union, new labelling rules will require all meat to be labelled if it comes from an animal that has been fed GE.

"We urgently need new regulations in New Zealand governing GE stock feed, and a requirement that if an animal is fed GE, this must be declared on a label."

After Tauranga, the ship headed for Australia, where Greenpeace activists successfully halted it unloading more of the GE soy meal at Port Melbourne.

Ms Kedgley hailed their efforts, saying the action reflected the views of the majority of consumers - who do not want GE entering the food chain.

© Scoop Media