Canola concerns | 17 percent of shoppers think GM products pose health hazard
VANCOUVER — GM labelling is coming soon to a store near you.
Whole Foods Market recently announced that all products in its U.S. and Canadian stores must be labelled by 2018 to indicate whether they contain genetically modified ingredients.
The company bills itself as the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 340 grocery stores in North America and the United Kingdom.
This won’t be an isolated case, Elizabeth Sloan told the Canola Council of Canada’s 2013 annual convention held in Vancouver March 14-15.
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“If there is anyone in this room who thinks that GMOs are not going to be an issue, I’m telling you you’re smoking dope,” said Sloan, president of Sloan Trends Inc., a California company that studies food trends.
She recently attended the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, California, where thousands of food retailers showcased their latest healthy food offerings.
“Nearly 90 percent of them had GMO-free on the label,” said Sloan.
The GMO issue didn’t die with Proposition 37, a failed attempt to introduce mandatory GM labelling in California.
Sloan said 30 U.S. states are considering GM labelling, and there is talk from senior Walmart officials that the company will no longer oppose labelling legislation.
The scary part for the canola industry is that 17 percent of shoppers consider GM products to be a “serious health hazard.”
Sales of certified GMO-free food products are up 25 percent in the U.S. marketplace compared to a 17 percent increase for certified fair trade products.
The canola council supports voluntary labelling over mandatory labelling, but considers all labelling to be unnecessary.
“We think labelling should be on the basis of nutrition and any health concerns, and there’s no scientific evidence whatsoever that genetically engineered canola is a health risk,” said canola council president Patti Miller.
However, one canola industry official thinks it’s time to embrace GM labelling.
Franck Groeneweg, vice-chair of the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, agreed there is no scientific justification for labelling GM products, but he wonders why the canola industry fears it so much.
He believes the industry has a great “feel good” story to tell because GM canola has resulted in reduced fuel and pesticide use, decreased soil erosion and improved yields to help feed a growing world population. Future traits could provide improved water and nitrogen use efficiency.
“On one side we say that we have a great system and we’re benefitting the world with the way we farm with GMOs and on the other side we’re reluctant, we kind of apologize, just about, and we don’t want it on the label,” said Groeneweg during an interview at the convention.
He said an estimated 70 percent of items on grocery store shelves contain at least some GM corn, soybeans or canola ingredients. Rather than fearing GM labels, he thinks it could be turned into a marketing advantage if consumers are properly educated on the benefits of GM crops.
“As a farmer, I’m starting to feel like, why am I shy about this? I should actually put on there, ‘proudly contains GMOs.’ ”
