Canada: Greenpeace calls for Kellogg boycott over genetically introduced materials

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Greenpeace calls for Kellogg boycott

By The Canadian Press

TORONTO (CP) - Genetically modified ingredients in popular Kellogg products may jeopardize children's health and should be boycotted, Greenpeace Canada warned Saturday.

''Kellogg marketing targets children with its use of friendly icons like Tony the Tiger. The truth is, the company is selling products which may risk the health of its consumers, including children,'' Greenpeace executive director Peter Tabuns told a rally at a downtown supermarket.

''It's irresponsible, and it should stop.''

Tabuns urged consumers to stop buying Kellogg products as Greenpeace launched a campaign against the use of genetically modified organisms by the cereal giant.

Genetically modified foods are the result of gene-splicing technology that inserts part of the gene strand of one life form, such as a bacteria or animal, into another, such as corn, soybean or canola.

Greenpeace and other environmental and consumer groups have condemned the use of genetically modified material, highlighting concerns about a lack of comprehensive testing of the new foods.

But Christine Lowry, a Kellogg spokeswoman, says the company has every confidence in Health Canada's standards and testing policies.

''We have one of safest regulatory systems in world,'' she said.

''Consumers should feel quite confident in the Canadian system, it's the standard that the rest of the world looks to.''

Tabuns said Kellogg can be persuaded to eliminate genetically modified ingredients, since it has already done so in the products it distributes in the United Kingdom.

''If they can do it in the U.K., then Canadian consumers deserve the same assurance. No more double standards.''

Lowry said Kellogg's U.K. products come from different sources, and there's little chance what happened there would effect what Kellogg does in Canada.

''We are confident and supportive of Health Canada's policies. We support all of the government activity that is going on.

http://www.thestar.com/thestar/editorial/updates/gta/200004020_KELLOGG-BOYC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), April 02, 2000


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