
Genetically modified food is one of the great opinion-dividers of our time. Some argue that GM foods reap irreparable damage on the environment and human health. But others say they could be the answer to a secure food supply for the world’s growing population.
10-Feb-2012 - Consumer groups have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alter the process by which it assesses the safety of AquaBounty’s fast-growing genetically engineered (GE) salmon.
07-Feb-2012 - Non-GMO Project Verified has become the fastest growing food eco-label in North America, as sales of certified products hit $1bn in 2011, according to findings unveiled at Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco last month.
30-Jan-2012 - "At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.
17-Jan-2012 - Ingredients and chemicals giant BASF has announced it will pull the plug on its European operations in genetically modified plant development due to a lack of acceptance in the market.
04-Jan-2012 - Health- and eco-conscious consumers are just as interested in the ingredients their foods do not contain as those that make it onto the ingredient list – but price remains a top priority, according to a new survey.
20-Dec-2011 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has deregulated the biotech trait in Monsanto’s Vistive Gold soybeans, allowing the production of low saturated- and trans-fat oils from the beans within the United States.
19-Dec-2011 - The responsible approach to considering whether genetically engineered (GE) salmon pose a risk to the environment is to assume that the fish will escape and disregard assurances from the company that they would not, said Senator Mark Begich at a committee hearing on Thursday.
07-Nov-2011 - We need a formal definition of ‘natural’ to ensure it is used more consistently in food labeling and marketing– and the FDA should provide it - according to the results of the latest FoodNavigator-USA/NutraIngredients-USA poll.
25-Oct-2011 - A co-ordinated industry-led effort to produce a working definition of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging would help firms navigate one of the most contentious areas of food marketing, according to one labeling expert.
20-Oct-2011 - The row over the use of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging has intensified with the publication of a new report accusing leading cereal firms of duping shoppers with their own “self-serving” definitions in the absence of any legal criteria.
05-Oct-2011 - A coalition of nearly 400 businesses and organizations has delivered a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods.
02-Sep-2011 - A group of industry and agriculture organizations has commended US representatives attending Codex committee meetings over the past year for their leadership and support of science-based standards.
01-Sep-2011 - Western corn rootworms have been consuming genetically modified (GM) crops that have been developed to be resistant to them, raising questions about the longevity of some GM traits, according to a study in the online journal PloS One.
11-Aug-2011 - A former member of the government committee charged with assessing the safety of the first genetically engineered (GE) fish for human consumption says “few, if any technologies could survive” the flawed review process.
04-Aug-2011 - More than 30 agricultural organizations have signed a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to complete its review of the world’s first genetically engineered fish for human consumption.
25-Jul-2011 - Arguments put forward by senators attempting to derail the approval process for the world’s first genetically engineered fish for human consumption are politically motivated and have no basis in fact, according to the firm trying to bring them to market.
21-Jul-2011 - The boss of a Massachusetts-based firm attempting to commercialize genetically engineered farmed salmon has accused a small group of senators opposing the move of “willfully ignoring science-based research” and spreading “misinformed paranoia”.
05-Jul-2011 - The system for assessing new GM crops with nutritional and environmental benefits must be improved to reduce the time and expense of gaining approvals and enable smaller players to get a look in, according to one leading academic.
27-Jun-2011 - If the food industry wants journalists and consumers to get real about risk, then it has to get real too.
17-Jun-2011 - The next generation of soybean oils will give the food industry a cost-effective and healthier alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs) with flavor and stability current alternatives cannot deliver, according to biotech giants Monsanto and DuPont.
07-Jun-2011 - Israeli soy ingredients company Solbar is looking to expand its presence in the United States, where it sees particular opportunities for non-GM and hexane-free protein isolates in the health and nutrition market.
26-May-2011 - A US court of appeals has said that Monsanto must produce further studies examining the environmental impact of its genetically modified (GM) sugar beets before they can be planted on a commercial scale.
10-May-2011 - Elaine Watson caught up with Gary Berger, BOCA brand manager, Kraft Foods, to talk about opportunities in meat free.
10-May-2011 - Genetically modified fish in California would have to be labeled as such according to a bill approved by the California Assembly Health Committee last week.
06-May-2011 - The non-GMO symbol is a useful reference point for consumers, many of whom still have gaps in their knowledge of genetically modified (GM) foods, according to natural and organic food companies.