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ICSA SAYS VIGILANCE ON GMOS NECESSARY

Oct 30, 2015 | Press Releases | 0 comments

30th October, 2015

ICSA president Patrick Kent has said we must remain vigilant on the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).  “An increasing number of consumers are turning away from any foodstuff produced from, or with GMO ingredients”, he said.  Mr Kent was speaking following the European Parliament’s rejection of the Commission’s proposal that would have enabled any member state to restrict or prohibit the sale and use of EU approved GMO food or feed.

“People care about what is on their plates and consumers are wary of eating foods that contain genetically modified ingredients”. The issue of GMOs also encompasses animal feed, he said.  “We need to be producing as many animal products as possible fed on GM free feed. We pride ourselves on the quality and purity of our meat products and the feed industry needs to gear up for farmers who want GMO free rations. For instance, there has been a premium for cattle fed on GM free rations in Italy.”

Mr Kent concluded that “lowering our standards by accepting the use of GMOs is definitely the wrong path to choose. The market for pure and trustworthy forms of food is here to stay”. He called on the feed and compounding sector here to make GM free rations available to farmers wishing to use them.  Mr. Kent concluded that every effort must be made at governmental level to protect the integrity of Irish meat and all agricultural products produced in this country and pointed to the necessity of further debate on this issue.

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