Chocolate Easter bunnies will never be the same after the commercial introduction of Roundup Ready sugar beets in Western Canada, says the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.
But Trish Jordan, spokesperson for Monsanto Canada, said there is no reason to get hopping mad.
“The nice little chocolate Easter bunnies are not changing at all. Sugar is sugar, regardless of how it is grown,” she said.
Monsanto is the technology provider but commercialization of Roundup Ready sugar beets is being co-ordinated by two seed companies in conjunction with Lantic Inc. and Michigan Sugar Company, two sugar manufacturers contracting with Canadian growers.
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Roundup Ready sugar beets received Canadian regulatory approval in 2005. They were first grown in Canada last year in Ontario under contract for Michigan Sugar.
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network is trying to convince Lantic, a company formed when Lantic Sugar Limited and Rogers Sugar Limited merged last June, not to contract GM acreage in Western Canada this spring.
“GM sugar will cause a lot of heartache for Canadians who want to avoid GM foods because sugar is a major ingredient in most processed foods and is important to people who bake, can and preserve,” said Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of CBAN, a coalition of 18 groups that oppose GM crops.
CBAN claims Lantic has refused repeated requests to meet and has not responded to the 3,000 e-mails and cards it has received on the subject.
In a recent news release, the network used an unusual “source” to make its point.
“We are so relieved that humans are coming to our defence,” said Milk Chocolate Bunny in the release.
“We always bring a smile to children at this time of year but if GM sugar beet is planted we will have to hide from the kids.”
Doug Emek, general manager of Lantic’s western operations, said Canada’s only sugar beet processor will grow Roundup Ready sugar beets in 2009.
The company plans to contract about 30,000 acres of sugar beets with around 275 growers near its plant in Taber, Alta.
A high proportion will be the Roundup Ready variety.
“We don’t have the final numbers yet but we expect it will be above 90 percent,” he said.
Growers want to plant the Roundup Ready variety because it requires fewer trips across the field, uses less herbicide, decreases soil erosion and improves water conservation.
Emek assured sugar consumers they have nothing to fear about sugar made from genetically modified sugar beets.
“There are a lot of comments out there that are simply not true. The sugar has not been altered in any way,” he said.
Sugar made from Roundup Ready crops has been compared to sugar from conventional crops by independent third party laboratories.
