From Minister of Food Safety, to Minister of Food Secrets

Green MP Sue Kedgley is accusing the Minister for Food Safety of suppressing the names of four soy based infant formula that were found to be contaminated with GE ingredients in an audit by the New Zealand Food Safety Agency.

"It is astonishing that the Minister of Food Safety is keeping secret the information that is vital for parents who are feeding their babies soy infant formula," Ms Kedgley said.

"Babies are the most vulnerable and at-risk group in society. Parents have an absolute right to know whether baby food is contaminated with GM ingredients, at whatever level. To deny them that right is an affront and an insult to every parent in this country who cares about their children."

Ms Kedgley said leading scientists had questioned the potential health effects of feeding genetically modified foods on babies, and had called for them to be rigorously investigated before they were allowed into baby food.

"This has never happened," Ms Kedgley said. "Soy products have never been tested on humans or for their long term health effects. It is therefore crucial that we do not experiment on babies by feeding them GM soy."

The Green MP is supporting today's call from MAdGE (Mothers Against Genetic Engineering in food and environment) for New Zealand parents to boycott all infant soy formulas until the Minister of Food Safety discloses which brands contain detectable levels of genetically engineered soy.

ENDS

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